Mass Effect: Pilgrimage
by Demented Assassin
Summary: Pilgrimage charts the untold story of Tali'Zorah nar Rayya as she prepares to leave all she knows behind and embark on her sacred journey into adulthood, intent on proving her worth to both her people and her father, the fleet's most dedicated Admiral.
1. Chapter 1: Deep Space

**Chapter 1 - Deep Space**

A purple-gloved hand floated across the surface of the hull panel, two elongated fingers gently tracing the unique irregularities of the dull grey material, dipping into the pock marks formed by cosmic dust and asteroid fragments. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya gently lifted the plate back into place on the exterior of the _Rayya's_ hull, the worn metal quickly obscuring the serpent's nest of wiring that lay beneath. Holding it in place with her left hand she reached for the rivet gun on her belt with her right and set about bolting the panel back into place firmly. The gun, normally accompanied with a sharp whirring as it operated, accompanied her in silence, as noiseless as her in the cosmic void they shared.

With the hull whole once more, the young quarian hooked the tool back on her belt and gently pushed against the ship's surface, the lack of gravity causing the resistance of the ship to twirl her about like a leaf in the wind. Applying a little more pressure, cautiously, she didn't want to suddenly end up spinning through space, Tali waited until she faced away from the hull and reached behind her to grip the maintenance bars on the hull. Lifting her weightless body she assumed something akin to a seated position, her slim, re-curved legs dangling across the _Rayya's_ bow and partially obscuring the vessel's faded registration number.

Facing away from the ship, she was presented with a near unobstructed view of the cosmic expanse and the somber crimson of the red dwarf the Migrant Fleet currently hovered around. Though they were all about her, Tali struggled to spot much of the fleet, hidden as they were against the blackness of space. Only the larger, more colourful ships and those highlighted against the star were readily visible and it took her a good few moments to spot any of the smaller, more spread out vessels. Swallowed as they were by the inky blackness, the only visible indicator of their presence was a telltale black outline as they obscured the stars behind them.

Tali stared out past them, as far as her eyes could see and with her mind, even further. Even though she could only see the myriad pinpricks of light that signified star systems with her eyes, in her imagination she saw far more. The large, brilliant white one off to the left was home to a huge system of 12 planets, predominantly brilliant gas giants in a multitude of swirling colours. The faint, blue tinged one to the right contained only two planets, one completely uninhabitable, wracked by violent storms; though its habitable brother was a glorious garden world, lush and verdant, a veritable paradise. The murky, offset white star near the centre of her vision hid nothing but asteroid fields, its satellites long since blasted into dust by the devastating krogan warships in the rachni wars. And so it went on, until finally a tinny voice cut into her ear, startling Tali out of her revere and almost causing her to lose her grip on the _Rayya_.

"Tali? You're awful quiet out there, ya get those cables rewired yet?"

"All done Bardi." She responded cheerfully once she had recovered, glancing back at the hull panel she had replaced earlier.

"Don't know why I'm asking," the gruff voice grumbled, almost as if she hadn't spoken, "you could have rewired this ship twice in the time it's taken me ta get this infernal coolant leak patched up again."

She stifled a grin, though hidden away as she was under two layers of suits, one environmental, the other deep space, it was hardly necessary. "Oh you're not that slow Bardi." She paused. "Maybe two coolant leaks."

There was a sound that could only be interpreted as a snort in response. "You be glad you're leaving tomorrow young miss, else old Bardi might be setting ya to sweeping out the hydraulic fluid tanks for your lip."

This time the grin was unrestricted. "So I guess we're done then?"

"Sure are sweetheart, and I gotta say I'm lookin' forward to wriggling out of this suit. Huh, and here we were thinkin' one was bad enough."

Tali sympathised. Though the regular environmental suits the quarians were forced to wear had a small supply of inbuilt oxygen, they couldn't maintain the body temperature required for the cold of space, at least, not for any great length of time. As a result the two quarian engineers were currently wearing a second, deep space suit over their environment suits, a strange sensation even to one accustomed to living their life inside a plexi-glass visor. Still, emergency exterior repairs outside of maintenance docks weren't common enough for Tali to complain too much. In truth, she rather liked the few quiet moments she could snatch for herself, though she was always more than ready to go back to the familiar bustle of quarian society. "Alright Bardi, I'll see you back at the airlock." The chief engineer didn't respond verbally, but his mike clicked once in her ear, an old military acknowledgement from the retired marine. The young engineer smiled sadly; she had a feeling she was going to miss him and his odd little quirks.

Pulling herself slowly across the hull of the _Rayya_, Tali found her thoughts straying yet again to the subject of her pilgrimage, due to begin tomorrow. Though she was apprehensive at the thought of leaving behind everything she knew, her excitement far outweighed her trepidation. Keelah knew how many systems lay out there, waiting for her. Systems with starships and engines the likes of which she couldn't even dream of. She could hardly wait to, as Bardi put it, 'tinker' with them; she was already obsessed with seeing what she could make them do, how much more effective they could be with a few…modifications.

Her only problem lay in what she could procure for her pilgrimage gift. Most quarians didn't seem to struggle with it too drastically, bringing home anything that could benefit the fleet: new engine specifications, small transport ships, maps of new star systems that could support the colony, contracts for shipments of valuable cargo to the fleet. Someone had even managed to return with an entire freighter once, having won it in a high stakes quasar game.

Being the daughter of the head of the Admiralty Board however put extra pressure on Tali to return with something truly important back to the fleet, a fact her father and indeed much of her family, both immediate and extended, often unconsciously reminded her of. Tali knew she had a heritage to live up to and she was determined to hold herself to it, even as she realised it would make her pilgrimage that much more difficult than most. Still, the young quarian thrived on challenges. She'd always been good with mechanical systems; perhaps, with the millions of new engineering parts that awaited her in the rest of the galaxy, she could design her own engine, a revolutionary new propulsion system that would drive the Migrant Fleet forward for decades to come. The quarian nodded to herself; yes, something of that magnitude might suffice.

Of course, it wasn't much use making plans now, not until she was actually out there experiencing the galaxy for herself would she be able to judge which of her many ideas were feasible. If she was being honest with herself, she recognised that some of her ideas were too outlandish or hopeful to be realistic but there was nothing wrong with dreams, right? Nearing the airlock on the far side of the _Rayya's_ bulbous hull, Tali caught sight of Bardi's green space suit outlined against the dull grey of the ship, a stark contrast to her own purple one. In truth, she was surprised to find herself in a purple space suit, the colour not unlike that of her own environment suit; granted it didn't match up to the intricate designs of her usual livery but being a space suit, she wasn't looking for it to be flattering.

Propelling herself toward Bardi with a harder pull on the bars than usual, Tali floated free for a moment before grabbing the edge of the open airlock, arresting her flight. Bardi, feet planted as best he could on the floor of the airlock, glanced up at her. Though his face was obscured by the golden sheen of his space suit's protective glare visor, Tali could tell from both the tone of his voice and the way his head lay slightly to one side that he was bemused.

"Do ya normally enter doors from the top down Miss Zorah? Or is this the latest thing you young'uns have come up with to keep yerselves amused these days?"

Tali swung herself into the airlock's decontamination zone, using the lip of the door as leverage. "You know that engine oil, loose bolts and a good drive-wrench are all I need to keep myself amused Bardi." The lack of gravity caused her to bounce gently against the floor and she pressed her hands against the ceiling to keep her feet on the ground.

With the two engineers safely inside, the airlock door slid shut soundlessly behind them. The artificial gravity of the _Rayya_ kicked in a moment later, catching Bardi by surprise and causing him to land ignominiously on his rear.

"_Bosh-tet_." The senior engineer growled, referring to the youthful ensign on the other side of the airlock who was monitoring the system.

Unable to help a giggle, Tali helped the chief back onto his feet.

"They really should have a countdown fer that, give old codgers like me a chance to prepare." Bardi remarked as the ship's VI began decontamination procedures and faint UV purification lines began to sweep over the two quarians.

Tali said nothing, biting her lip to keep from laughing and humiliating her old friend further.

Though the quarians viewed one another as family as a result of living their lives on starships in such close proximity to each other, Tali had grown up under the chief's tutelage and had come to view him as a second father of sorts, perhaps as a result of her own father's distance. Though she bore no resentment toward him, understanding his devotion to both his people and his duty as an admiral of the fleet, Tali couldn't help but feel that she was going to miss Bardi just as much as her flesh and blood. He'd never attempted to usurp her father but Bardi had always been there for her when her dad wasn't and after years of time together she knew Bardi thought as affectionately of her as she did of him. The old quarian was quite protective of her too, having chased off a number of childhood bullies and in more recent years, a few adolescent males who couldn't quite take a hint.

The UV lines and the steady hum of the decontamination sequence abruptly faded and the airlock doors slid open with a slow creaking noise, the engineering duo finding it comforting to be able to hear the familiar sounds of the ship they called home. The _Rayya_ was hardly the most up to date craft in the fleet; in fact it was one of the oldest, serving since the great flight from the geth centuries ago as one of the fleet's three Liveships and main sources of food. Her father hadn't been pleased with the idea of his daughter serving on what he privately considered to be the most ramshackle of the three Liveships, though each was so crucial to quarian survival that they were kept running quite smoothly for their age. Tali liked it. Whilst the _Rayya_ was constantly suffering minor mechanical faults she found the challenges to be quite enjoyable; they taught her new things in addition to testing her creativity, which Bardi lauded as being boundless. She smiled to herself, recalling how some of the workarounds she'd come up with had made his head spin.

Bardi led the way onto the ship, glaring at the ensign running the airlock sequence. Because the plexi-glass helmets the quarians always wore obscured their faces, they had learnt to read the subtle signs of body language with surprising accuracy. The ensign, noting the slight drop of Bardi's head and the emphasis he placed his heavy footfalls, lifted his head and shoulders higher, a quarian expression of puzzlement. The chief merely grumbled to himself and marched past, leaving Tali to shrug apologetically at the ensign as she hurried to catch up. "C'mon young'un, let's get out of these suits and get old Bardi something ta eat before he shrivels up from hunger."

"Now that," Tali quipped, "is the best idea I've heard from you all day."


	2. Chapter 2: Va'Seras

**Chapter 2 – Va'Seras**

Tali awoke to the sound of a gentle, if persistent, tapping. Rolling over in her bunk, she tried to ignore the noise and go back to sleep, and then groaned when she remembered her roommate, Naria, was working early. Heaving herself out of the bed with a less than gracious air, Tali staggered to the typically bland steel-grey door. "Who is it?" She asked, her forearm cushioning her helmet as she rested her head against the wall, eyes blinking heavily in an effort to clear the fuzz of sleep from her mind.  
"Yer boss, we got a problem down in engineering."  
Tali stifled a yawn. "Bardi, it's…" the young quarian glanced at the chronometer that hung above the dresser, "barely past five. Can't it wait until a more holy hour?"  
"You know as well as I do that breakages wait for no one." came the gruff response. "C'mon, let's see how creative you can be in the wee hours of the mornin'."  
Tali sighed and pushed herself away from the wall. "Fine, it'll be worth coming down just to see you mangle your own thumb with a hammer because you were half asleep."  
The young quarian could have sworn she heard a chortle from the other side of the door.

The two engineers tromped their way through the ship, Bardi's ever present and well worn drive wrench bouncing gently against his leg with every step. The _Rayya_ was surprisingly active for such an early hour, at least by the standards of non-quarians. Life on the quarian ships and indeed, through their society as a whole, never truly stopped. Each ship ran its crew in two shifts, the first covering the day whilst the second slept, and vice versa. As a result, quarians had gotten used to being surrounded by the constant noise and hubbub of everyday life every minute of the day. Most of the community, having known little else, had adjusted so much that the concept of silence and solitude were alien concepts.

Thus, Tali and Bardi's footfalls went unnoticed by the rest of the crew, with only early risers and those on shift noticing and inclining their heads in greeting. Some of the more outgoing hailed them with waves or raised hands and though their faces were hidden away behind tinted visors, Tali knew many of them well enough to know they would be smiling. Eventually, the duo made it to engineering, their footsteps ringing with a metallic echo as they stepped off the service ladder and onto the metal grille floor. Power conduits flowed under their feet and an incomprehensible maze of wires twisted and turned over their heads, disappearing behind large, metal fluid tubes before reappearing further along the corridor.

Though the _Rayya_, old as she was, hummed steadily it was down here, closer to the engines where the noise was much more amplified; though luckily it wasn't loud enough to interfere with conversation. The ship throbbed with energy as they neared the engine compartments, huge cylindrical devices with small windows that exposed the energy converters which glowed a deep blue, occasionally tinged with crackles of yellow from electrical discharges. Tali found herself looking about, trying to pinpoint any problems she could define visually before Bardi explained the details to her. Instead, the older quarian caught her off guard by heading for the tool cabinet. Curiously, Tali followed.

"Normally you prefer to see a problem for yourself before deciding what you're going to need." Tali observed as Bardi neared the cabinet.  
"Well miss Zorah, this ain't normal circumstances." He replied, unlocking the decades old cabinet and pulling something out from within.  
He turned to Tali, a nondescript and somewhat tattered box in his arms. "Listen," he began awkwardly, "I know yer Va'Seras isn't 'til later, but I wanted ta give you this now." He abruptly thrust the box out toward her, helmet dipped slightly towards the floor as if embarrassed. "I think you'll understand why."

Tali took the box reluctantly, wondering what could be inside that would set old Bardi on edge so. True, he might not have been the most emotional of quarians but still…she could sense that there was more to it than that. "Bardi…I don't want to…if this means that much to you…"  
"_Keelah_ girl, would ya open it already? I didn't put it in that box just so's you could stare at it!" Despite his tone, Tali could hear the amusement in his voice. Not wanting to appear ungrateful she carefully took the box apart, an involuntary gasp escaping when she glimpsed the contents.  
"Bardi, this is…"  
"An Omni-tool." He supplied helpfully. "Indispensable for engineers such as ourselves, capable of performing trillions of calculations per second, running diagnostics on complex equipment, field assembly and repairs, small emergency medical procedures and finally my personal favourite, providing a built-in flash light."  
He paused, appearing to regain some of his confidence.  
"Batteries not included."  
Tali almost smacked him, but at the same time had to choke back a burst of laughter. "You make a horrible salesman Bardi." She managed finally.  
"Just call me 'Bil 'e Maiz' missy." He responded, referring to a famous quarian salesperson.  
"But still, this is an _Omni-tool _Bardi, they're not cheap. I'm lucky enough to have one of my own as it is never mind two."

It was true; Omni-tools were both indispensable and hard to come by in the fleet. As such, they were prioritized to the sections that needed them most and more often than not were swapped between crewmembers as they rotated shifts. Tali had received hers when assigned to engineering many years ago and her father had pulled some strings to get her a personal one. Tali had felt lucky enough then but the idea of receiving a second one now…it was mind boggling.

"Bardi…why are you giving me this?"  
"Because that galaxy, well, it might seem enticing an' all missy, but in truth it's a very dangerous place. I wanna send you off as best prepared as I can." He shrugged self-consciously. "Besides, you wouldn't want me worrying about you an' getting meself electrocuted 'cause I wasn't concentrating now would ya?"  
Impulsively, Tali threw her arms around him, sparking an embarrassed chuckle from the man.  
"Steady on missy, I haven't had a pretty girl throw herself at me like that in over a century."  
"Thank you for this Bardi, I know it can't have been easy for you to get."  
"Don't thank me just yet," the ex-marine replied, briefly placing his arms around Tali in a more manly hug before lowering her to the floor, "with the customisations I programmed into that it'll either work like a dream or blow up in yer face."  
Tali's eyes snapped back to Bardi's. "You customised an _Omni__-tool_? I didn't think that was possible! I mean, not beyond usual user optimization."  
Her old mentor grinned, the faintest traces of his teeth reflecting in his visor. "I might have taught you a lot Tali, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeves. Well, I might have. If these suits _had_ sleeves…"  
She shook her head at him. "I don't think I'll ever be able to properly thank you for this Bardi."  
The engineer laid his hand on her shoulder, suddenly serious again. "You just make sure you come back in one piece, ya hear?"  
Tali nodded, suddenly overcome with such emotion that she didn't trust herself to speak.  
"Now then, how about we get to some breakfast, seeing as that little emergency sorted itself out right proper eh?"  
This time she did slap him.

Hours later, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya stood in front of her roommate Naria'Pael vas Rayya, overcome with such paranoia that she didn't know whether to sit or stand, laugh or weep. "Are you _sure _it looks alright?" She asked for the fifth time in as many minutes, brushing imagined creases in her suit's fabrics smooth. Naria laughed, her head slipping back and ruffling the delicate sky blue veil that covered the back of her head and neck.  
"Tali you look just as fine now as you did two seconds ago." Pushing herself up from the bed she grabbed Tali's roving hands and held them firmly at her sides. "Trust me, you won't find any more wrinkles, everything is as perfect as you can make it."  
Tali sighed deeply before finally nodding. Naria let go and Tali took a step back, having to consciously force herself from searching her suit for imperfections. "Sometimes I really wish we had mirrors."  
Naria giggled. "It would make things a lot easier wouldn't it?" As if an idea just struck her, she stepped forward and gestured to Tali, glancing about her exaggeratedly as if expecting someone to try and listen in, a completely unnecessary action as they were sharing the room alone. "Perhaps you could bring some back as your pilgrimage gift," she whispered, "you'd have all us girls spending our last chit to get one of them."  
Tali snorted. "I'm sure a mirror would impress my father."  
Naira sighed, sinking back onto the bed. "You need to stop worrying about that you know; once you get out there all you need to focus on is doing the best you can."  
"Easy for you to say," Tali responded casually, "you've completed your Pilgrimage."  
Naria nodded. "True and I didn't do too badly for myself, because I concentrated on being the best I could at what I did. Let's be honest Tali, you barely need to concentrate to be the best engineer out there. Someone's going to see you for what you're worth and then, well, you'll be struggling to pick just _one_ gift to bring back."  
Tali ran her elongated fingers along the edge of the dresser dejectedly. "I hope so."  
"You'll do fine," Naria finished in a tone that brokered no argument, "now for pity's sake brighten up! This is your Va'Seras after all, you should be excited!"  
It was hard not to get infected with Naria's exuberance and Tali felt an unbidden smile curl up the corners of her mouth. Abruptly she cast aside her worries and doubts and swung around gleefully.  
"I'm going on my Pilgrimage!" She declared happily, provoking an appreciative squeal from her roommate as they embraced.  
"That's more like you!" Naria exclaimed, "Now finish up quick or we'll be late for the shuttle to the _Morana_."

The _Morana_, the second of three great Liveships supplying the quarian people with a constant source of agricultural food, was the largest of its sister vessels by a good margin. Currently flying in the approximate 'center' of the fleet's haphazard formation, the _Morana_ had been slightly better maintained than its counterparts and this, in addition to its size, had led to the ship hosting many of the more fleet-wide cultural events. Tali had only been aboard twice before, once when her childhood friend Zeras'Boa nar Geddar had set off on his own pilgrimage three years ago, from which he had yet to return, and when her father became an admiral, almost ten years ago. Walking through the ship's great corridors, packed to the brim with boxes of various supplies, Tali felt distant memories stir that provoked clashing emotions. She'd never been as sad as she had been to say goodbye to Zeras and she'd never been more proud of her father than when he'd been promoted, even if she was too young to understand the full significance of it all then.

Tali was directed to join the rest of the children destined to begin their pilgrimage the following day and soon found herself in a large room occupied by nearly 100 other quarians, all approximately her age. She barely had time to get her bearings when a large door on the other side of the room began to open. Falling into line with the rest of the adolescents, Tali stepped tentatively into the large semi-sphere room where the Va'Seras was being held, fighting off her temptation to hide as best she could behind her peers. _I am the daughter of an Admiral._ She reminded herself sternly. _I will hold myself to that. _The room, bathed in soft white light, was filled with hundreds if not thousands more quarians: loving family members, good friends, well wishing crewmates who'd managed to work their shifts around in order to attend. Though she couldn't immediately spot anyone she knew in the sea of vibrantly coloured environmental suits, Tali was overwhelmed by the notion that even a fraction of this number were here solely for her. A hushed silence had spread over a room that had just a few seconds ago been swarming with conversation, each quarian's visor on the dozens of children as they stood at the top of the semi-circular stairs, awaiting permission to enter.

Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Voice of the Admiralty Board and Tali'Zorah's adopted aunt, stood on a pedestal with the other Admirals, each head and shoulders above the crowd. Stepping forward, Shala'Raan spread her arms wide for silence and began to speak with a soft, old voice that carried a slight raspy edge.  
"Weclome children on this, the last of your days as a child of the Migrant fleet."  
Though the words were spoken in a somber tone, Tali felt a trill shoot up her spine at the ceremonial invitation. The other quarians sharing her Va'Seras felt it too, she could tell. They stood that much straighter, heads that much higher.  
As one, the group took a step forward, knelt and spoke in one voice. "May we serve to further our people through our actions. May we uphold the honour of the quarians. May both our departure and eventual return benefit the fleet gloriously, may we learn to appreciate true family, and may Keelah guide us all."  
"Enter children," Shala intoned warmly in response, "and be blessed. Keelah Se'lai."  
The soon-to-be pilgrims stood. "Keelah Se'lai."

Abruptly the room descended into joyful chaos as the nearest quarians sprang forward and dragged each of the children into the crowd, slapping their backs good naturedly and pushing them through the crowd where countless others cried their blessings and good natured jokes over the young honorees.  
"Keelah Se'lai little ones! "  
"Try not to get lost out there!"  
"Bring us back something nice, or don't come back at all!"  
"Make sure you don't eat something without scanning it first!"  
"If you see a krogan, run!"  
Various names were shouted as quarians tried to get the attention of those they knew over the hubbub, no easy task. Some of the adolescents became lost in the crowd, forced to endure the advice and friendly teasing of people they'd never met. Others managed to locate someone they knew and were faced with wading through the sea of environment suits to reach them.

Tali was one of the lucky ones, finding herself being dragged across the room by none other than Naria who had somehow managed to navigate her slight frame through the crowd to steal her away. "Naria slow down!" cried Tali, trying not to laugh despite worrying about offending potential well wishers. Naria did so, but only long enough to bring them both to a halt in front of most of the Rayya's crew. All her friends were there, Har'fa, Teala'Zera, old Grulan the ship's chief cook and of course Bardi. Tali even spotted her auntie Shala slowly making her way there through the throng. Grulan was the first to grab her, pulling her into a hug that lifted the young female clean off her feet.  
"Grulan!" Tali cried, suddenly grateful the visor hid her burning cheeks.  
"Ah, our little baby Tali, she's all grown up!" He lowered her gently to the floor and Tali could have sworn his visor was misty. "I still remember you toddling in and out of my kitchens as a young babe, poking around in the cabinets for snacks."  
"Grulan, I didn't board the Rayya after birth until I was 14, and that was to fix your flash-heaters!"  
The cook shook his head firmly. "No no, I remember it, sure as a krogan's ugly. You wore a sky blue suit back then."  
"I've never worn a blue environmental suit."  
"…Hmm…Perhaps it was your roommate then, little Naria." He threw up his hands in sudden exasperation. "There's so many of you these days, it taxes an old man's brain remembering you all!"  
"It's alright Grulan, we all remember you." Said Naria.  
"Yes, especially the way you tried to poison us that one time you boiled the chun'kata nuts instead of the irals." Jibed Har'a, earning both a chuckle and an elbow in the ribs from Teela, his mischievous partner in crime.  
Naria scowled. "Don't listen to them Grulan, knowing those two they probably swapped them when you weren't looking."  
Har'a turned up his arms at the elbow, palms up, head angled to one side, a gesture of innocence. "Naria, you hurt me."  
"Wait 'til I place my boot between your legs."  
The two boisterous males fell apart laughing, immediately responding with catcalls and invitations to do precisely that. Naria ignored them and Tali caught her eye; tapping her visor lightly with her index finger, exactly where her mouth would be. The gesture was a quarian signal for the most genuine, heartfelt smile they could give. Naria returned the motion, dipping her head in acknowledgement.

After that, Tali became lost in the sea of old friends and family, graciously accepting well wishes and gifts as they were presented, thanking each of them for coming and making promises to visit each of them again upon her return. Before long she found herself outfitted with a basic personal shield system, slightly outdated but functional, as well as a well used Kessler I pistol. Only Bardi seemed to be conspicuously absent in the gift giving and Tali caught a number of the _Rayya's_ crew glancing at him pointedly. She could see them whispering to each other about him and she felt the hackles on the back of her neck rise in response. Bardi simply ignored it all, and Tali felt her appreciation of him soar. She realized he'd not only given her a gift far grander than any she could have hoped to receive but he'd also known he'd have to endure this discrimination. She understood why he'd done it of course; he hadn't wanted to show her father up by giving her a gift of such value in front of the entire fleet. Tali only hoped that she could be both so respectful and discreet one day.

And speaking of her father, she caught a glimpse of a familiar white/red helmet making its way toward her through the crowd. She'd seen him earlier of course, when he and the other Admirals watched the soon-to-be pilgrims accept Shala's ritual invitation but seeing him coming to speak directly to her filled her with a sense of both anticipation and dread. As much as Tali loved her father she always hated their stilted conversations; she wanted them to be something more, a conversation in which he finally showed her some tenderness but even as she hoped for it, the realist in Tali knew it would never happen. Her father was too tied to his duties, too sincere, too reserved even before her mother had succumbed to infection almost five years ago. With her passing, Tali had given up all hope of receiving any affection from him.

"Hello Tali'Zorah." Her father greeted her solemnly.  
Tali dipped her head in greeting. "Hi Dad, how was the trip from the _Alarei_?"  
"Largely uneventful, though we were a bit late thanks to a minor fault with the shuttle's drive core."  
"Nothing serious I hope?"  
"No, a few minutes re-configuring the algorithms and we were ready to go. How was your immunodeficiency treatment?" he asked politely.  
Tali shook her head. "I thought the treatment was supposed to boost my immune system, not leave me feeling like I'd been exposed to pure hydrillis for a week."  
Her father chuckled lightly in response, a rare thing for him. "Yes, I remember. The immediate reaction never leaves you feeling well but you'll soon realize how worthwhile it is once you're out there."  
They lapsed into silence for a time, each pretending to take note of the various dancers around the room, exceptionally skilled quarians who were held in high esteem by the rest of the fleet. Dancing was one of the few leisure activities quarians allowed themselves as it did not require any extra items or equipment that could take up the highly valued free space each member of the fleet is allocated. However, few were willing to dedicate what little spare time they had between shifts to developing their skills, leading to those who had being looked upon with great respect by their peers.

Finally, Rael'Zorah dared breach the awkward hush between them. "There's something I want to give you before you leave Tali'Zorah. This was given to me by an old friend when I was serving as a trainee, it got me out of a tough spot more than once and hopefully, it'll do the same for you."  
Tali took the item; a well cared for Storm III shotgun. The powerful close range weapon clacked softly as it extended into its firing mode at her touch. Tali examined it for a moment, feeling the weight of the gun in her hands. Satisfied, Tali hit the retract button out of reflex and swung the gun onto her back with practiced ease.  
"Thanks Dad, it's been a while since I used one of these in training."  
"I'm sure you'll get back into practice with it soon enough."  
Tali nodded and braced herself for silence once more, but her father appeared to spot something behind her.  
"Ah, it looks like Han'Gerrel's son is set to begin his Pilgrimage as well. Would you excuse me while I offer my goodwill?"  
Tali let the pain of his abrupt departure deflect off the walls of her heart, refusing to let herself feel dismay; instead, she merely nodded. "Thank you for everything father, I hope I'll make you proud."  
The admiral nodded as he moved off, then paused and turned back to her. "Promise me something Na'Vera?"  
Tali swallowed hard. "Y-yes?" _Na'Vera_. It meant 'my daughter' in the old tongue, a language that was only used in sacred traditions or when great emphasis was required.  
"Make sure you come back in one piece."  
"I-I will." She stammered, still reeling mentally.  
He nodded again, turned and abruptly became the Admiral once more.

Tali stood still for a moment, frozen by words she'd never expected to hear. A familiar grey gloved hand pressing gently on her shoulder shook her out of her stupor.  
"That's the first time he's called me that." Tali said softly, eyes on his back as he strode through the throng.  
Shala'Raan vas Tonbay squeezed Tali's shoulder comfortingly. "I know he's not always forthcoming Tali'Zorah, but your father does love you in his own way."  
"I know, but…sometimes it's hard to remember that."  
"He has already lost your mother little one, think what losing you would do to him."  
Abruptly, Tali turned and hugged the elder quarian, burying her head against her chest.  
"I'm going to miss you auntie Raan," she said with a quiet sniff, "you and father; and even if he is distant, I'll always love him."  
"I know you will child, I know you will." Replied Shala sadly, holding her niece tightly.

The rest of the evening passed quickly; storytellers and dancers made up the majority of the night's entertainment, as they had for centuries. Tali stole a few moments for herself to record Novi'a vas Fayrin and his assistant, young Shea'lai nar Jeetar, as they retold the ancient tale of Shrai'Moonstar, a favourite story of Tali's youth. She didn't see much else of her father that night, though auntie Shala kept so close to her that Tali wasn't given a moment to think about it. More than once the pair found themselves rescuing Naria'Pael from chasing after one of the younger males from one of the other ships, though her roommate didn't always appreciate the gesture. "It's been months since I had a boyfriend Tali, and this a _Va'Seras_, the best time to meet people!" She complained.  
"Naria we both know they'll all be back on their home ships in a few hours, where would that leave you?"  
Naria grinned beneath her faceplate. "That depends on how those few hours were spent."  
Tali shook her head. "You're impossible. Perhaps I ought to tell Ray'jar all the time he spends admiring you is wasted."  
Naria stopped so quickly someone almost ran into her. "_Ray'jar_? H-he likes me?"  
"You haven't noticed?" Tali asked innocently. "He's hardly taken his eyes off you all night."  
Naria unfroze, hands furiously smoothing down her suit. "In that case, e_xuuucuse me!_ It seems I have business with the hunkiest navigational officer on the _Rayya_." She declared as she marched directly toward the well-built male quarian, heedless of the conversation he appeared to be holding.  
"You owe me one!" Tali called after her with a laugh.


	3. Chapter 3: Departure

**Chapter 3 – Departure  
**The shuttle flight back from the _Morana_ was deathly quiet compared to the constant buzz of conversation aboard the liveship; a few quarians spoke quietly amongst themselves out of respect for the more taxed passengers but for the most part, people were keeping to themselves. Tali was seated next to Naria, with Bardi directly opposite. She'd hardly spoken a word since they'd disembarked though her two friends both understood why, each remembering their own unpleasant experiences of saying farewell to relatives and friends at their Va'Seras. Saying goodbye to her father had been bad enough, but boarding the shuttle knowing she'd not be seeing her beloved aunt again for what could easily be years had nearly broken Tali's heart in two. Out of respect for herself, her father and who she was, Tali had managed to keep the tears in check, relying on strength of will alone to stop herself from breaking down in the shuttle's crowded cabin.

Naria, though flushed with her recent success with Ray'jar, the navigational officer, had been just as quiet, accepting her roommate's sudden despondency without complaint. She currently sat with her head back, resting against the cool metal of the bulkhead whilst her left shoulder provided a comforting 'cushion' for Tali's helmet. Tali drew strength from the simple gesture, half-wishing Bardi would rise from his seat, cross over to her and console her as he would when she was a small child. But at the same time, she appreciated that Bardi respected her as an adult now; the old engineer would always be within reach, but he wouldn't go anywhere he wasn't invited either.

By the end of the 20 minute flight, most of which was spent requesting clearance, Tali couldn't wait to be back in the relative privacy of her shared cabin. As the two roommates neared their quarters, Naria tactfully declared she needed something to eat and headed off to the cafeteria, knowing full well it was closed. Tali watched her go, a grateful if subdued smile hidden underneath her faceplate. Entering the small room, it was all she could do to climb onto her bunk and lie down before submitting to a quiet flurry of tears. By the time the elder quarian returned, Tali had cried herself to sleep.

Tali awoke the next morning in a somber mood which only darkened when she realized how her helmet's visor had become streaked with the remnants of her salty tears from the night before. Scowling, she clambered out of the bed as quietly as possible so as not to wake Naria who slumbered, accompanied by gentle snores, in the bunk below. Tali glanced at the chronometer; 07:18, normally she'd be due in engineering in almost ten minutes but with her transport ship scheduled to take her on her Pilgrimage at 10:00 she was released from duty and had the morning free. It was a strange feeling; quarians, especially engineers, rarely had time to their selves and Tali was at a loss for what to do. _A shower, _she decided finally. It'd be her last chance for a proper one.

The shower block was located on the lower decks of the _Rayya_, a surprisingly small section of the ship considering the number of crew aboard. However, quarian's only used the services once every month or so, normally relying on their in-suit body cleansing systems to keep them clean. Although this system, working using a form of basic inbuilt shower system which using purified water from an external source, was efficient, the overall result wasn't what one would call refreshing.

The showers were comprised of a section of cubicles, each sealed off individually from the rest of the block and whilst shared between quarians, the cubicles were cleansed and sanitized after each use, preserving a sterile environment and preventing any risk of infection for the next occupant. As one of the few times a quarian was out of their environmental suit, the cubicle also housed a suit cleaning system that ran alongside the shower, purging the outfit and stripping it of bacteria before heating the freshly washed garments so that they were dry and ready for the wearer once more.

Tali'Zorah, like many of her fellows, wasn't too fond of the system. Someone had once likened it to 'stripping inside an airlock' and the term had stuck; the phrase 'taking an airlock' had now become synonymous with showering. Still, she had to admit it felt good to be out of the suit for a little while, regardless of the environment. Actually being able to feel things, the near-scalding water against her skin, the smooth surface of the cubicle wall under her fingers, the tiny trickle of a breeze from the suit dryer as it ruffled her hair…to someone whose life revolved around being imprisoned in a an isolated shell, a hostage to their environment, the sudden ability to feel was ecstasy.

The young quarian delayed as long as she could before getting back into her suit, trying to shake off the sense that she was becoming a captive once more. At least her purple-tinted visor was now free of smears. Tali shook her head at the memory, surprised she'd succumbed to crying; she hadn't wept in years, not since she was a little girl. Annoyed by how constrictive her suit now felt after the shower, Tali closed her eyes and tried to recall how it was to feel outside of her prison; unfortunately this only resulted in a wave of despair as she realized that would probably be the last time she'd be out of her suit until she returned to the fleet. Sighing, she made her way to the mess hall.

To her surprise Grulan was there, working his shift along with two eager assistants who appeared to be getting under the old man's feet. "_Keelah, _can you not stay still for more than ten seconds and just let something cook? Cooking takes time Hiri'Bala, it is an art, and you can't rush art." The shorter of the two assistants, Hiri'Bala, let his head hang in a sign of submission. Grulan ignored him and kept muttering, stirring a simmering concoction as he spoke. "You whippersnappers might think you know everything, but you'd do well to take the advice of an old man who's seen a lot more snagg'la's boiled than you."  
"What exactly_ is_ a snagg'la Grulan?" Tali asked, arms propped on the counter as though she'd been there for hours.  
The old chef whipped around so fast he almost sent the contents of the pot spewing across the floor. "Tali'Zorah nar Rayya! What brings you to my humble kitchens?"  
"Breakfast," she chuckled, plucking a synth tube from the rows of stands that lay across the countertop, "but the definition of a snagg'la would be nice too."  
Grulan's eyes lit up behind his olive faceplate at the prospect of a discussion on his favourite subject. "Sometimes I wish you'd been assigned to catering young Tali," he said wistfully, "if only my assistants bothered to ask the questions you do. Anyway, since you asked a snagg'la is a tree root, grown only from the descendants of the great Boshor trees on Rannoch. We don't have many of them left on the Liveships today, they tend to grow too large for us to handle; we have to harvest them young and replanting them is a delicate process."  
Pausing to inspect a slab of mushy looking grey substance as it slowly cooked alongside dozens of similar slabs, Grulan continued. "Now, because they're so difficult to grow we don't get to put Snagg'la into the synth tubes too often. In fact, it's normally only used on special occasions and even then, they have to be really _good_ special occasions."  
Tali smiled, feeling her mood lift at the cook's enthusiasm. "So when are you going to let young Hiri prepare some?"  
Grulan recoiled visibly, horrified by the notion. "Keelah preserve us! Not for a good many years yet if I have anything to say about it. His hands are far too twitchy for such a delicate job." He fixed the eager youth with a stare who promptly went back to work disappointed, his hopes both raised and dashed in a matter of seconds.

Tali chuckled to herself, preparing to leave and join the hundreds of other quarians at the various tables around the hall when she suddenly felt Grulan catch her arm. "Here little one, a gift for your Pilgrimage." said the old man quietly.  
Tali turned, finding a thick tube being pressed into her hands. She examined it and after spotting the label on the side, immediately tried to hand it back. "No, no way Grulan. I can't take this."  
"Of course you can," the cook argued, "I made it for you specially."  
"After what you just told me you can't expect me to walk out of here with a synth tube full of Snagg'la!" Tali hissed quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear.  
Grulan shook his head firmly. "It's my gift to you, for you Pilgrimage. I didn't get you anything last night, I couldn't prepare the Snagg'la in time, so you'll just have to take it today instead. Tradition demands you accept it little Tali."  
"But Grulan, if this stuff is that rare…"  
The cook smiled, taking a step back and leaving the tube innocently on the countertop. "Don't fret child, I've made sure it won't go missing." Turning around with a shrug that almost looked apologetic, Grulan returned to his cooking preparations, back to the young girl as though he didn't care if she left it there or not. "Let it remind you of us Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, when you get to feeling homesick."  
Tali wrestled with the decision for a moment, not wanting to land him in trouble, but eventually gave in and scooped the tube into one of her suit's many disguised pockets.  
"Thank you Grulan." She whispered softly as she walked away, heading for one of the quieter tables.  
The chef didn't respond, seemingly in his own world, humming a cheery ditty as he stirred.

Later that morning, with just over half an hour left before her ship was due to leave, Tali returned to her cabin to collect her things, hoping to find Naria awake this time but whilst her roommate was no longer sleeping, she was also no longer in the room at all. Disappointed, Tali set about gathering up everything she'd prepared to take with her, drawing out the simple task as long possible in the hope that Naria would return. She didn't and Tali knew with only ten minutes to get to her ship, she didn't have time to wait any longer. The disheartened quarian briefly contemplated leaving a note but decided against it. _Last night was the goodbye_, she told herself, _we don't need another one._ All the same, she made a point of stopping by Naria's station on the way to the docking bay though the effort proved fruitless. Trying not to wonder what her friend could have deemed more important than saying goodbye to her, the young pilgrim re-adjusted the supply pack she was carrying and kept walking.

Tali's transport, a modified Yerat Systems VX-761 private cargo freighter christened '_Tarmeena_', thrummed quietly in the _Rayya's_ landing bay. Normally Tali found the subtle noise of a ship's engines comforting but knowing these particular engines belonged to a ship that waited to whisk her away from family and friends made the sound seem ominous. The _Tarmeena_ itself was an ugly, bulky thing, it's depressingly dark hull broken up by seemingly random squat, hollowed out "blocks", added to maximize cargo space. She looked like she could have been designed by a krogan she was so hideous, despite the Turian manufacturer's cracked and faded logo that was emblazoned on the side of the hold. The outdated freighter had been acquired by the Migrant Fleet almost two decades previously and it had been old even then. Still, the quarians had never been ones to waste resources and they had quickly set to work modifying the ship, stripping the _Tarmeena_ of unneeded or unnecessary parts and making room for up to eight individuals in the hold, in addition to a single pilot and a small cargo load. Put to use primarily as a ship-to-ship shuttle within the fleet, ferrying both passengers and supplies between vessels, the _Tarmeena_ had also been used from time to time on short range cargo runs to supply depots in nearby systems.

Tali, like the others who were to share the _Tarmeena_ with her, had been surprised to find such a poor quality ship waiting to deliver them to their Pilgrimage destination; at least until they learnt that the ship usually assigned to such important duties was currently down for repairs aboard the _Zrazel_. As the only other ship available aboard the _Rayya_, _Tarmeena_ had been assigned the task instead. Tali just hoped the ancient freighter would hold together long enough to drop them off at Decrius, a fledgling Human colony world in the Narcissus system where she and the rest of the _Rayya's_ pilgrims were destined to begin their journeys.

The docking bay was scarce, _Tarmeena_ being the only ship showing any signs of life. She was surrounded by a motley collection of short range ferry shuttles, two battered Poleaxe fighters and a standard 'Tug'. The usual number of maintenance crew were scattered around, performing simple repairs, refueling the ships and generally making sure everything was in working order, no easy task. Six other quarian adolescents stood waiting at the base of the _Tarmeena's_ boarding ramp, accompanied by a few friends and for the lucky ones, family. Tali felt her spirits lift as she caught sight of a familiar faded green environment suit standing on the outskirts of the group.

Bardi approached her as she neared the ship, meeting her halfway and granting them some space from the rest of the group. "Mornin' young'un," he said cheerfully, as though nothing was amiss, "you all set for the big wide galaxy?"  
"Pretty much." Tali replied soberly, gesturing to the supply pack and new weapons that hung on her suit.  
Bardi nodded approvingly. "Good. We tried ta make sure the galaxy's ready for you, but between you and me, I don't think it's gonna know what hit it."  
"I'm not so sure," she responded doubtfully.  
"Trust me kiddo, I feel it in my gut," Bardi reassured her, slapping his stomach for emphasis, "and when ya get to my age, rations or no you start developing a big enough one ta tell."  
Tali finally laughed despite her mood. "You're not that bad chief."  
"Now yer just flatterin' me." The engineer remarked grumpily.  
Unable to think of a response, Tali let the conversation lapse into a comfortable silence between the two workmates.  
"I wish Naria had been here." She confided eventually, staring at the _Tarmena's_ depressive hull.  
Bardi, looking over her shoulder toward the landing bay doors, nodded in their direction. "Keelah must like you young'un, I never get my wishes answered so quickly."  
Turning around, Tali nearly jumped for joy when she caught sight of a sky blue environmental suit running toward her. "She didn't leave me after all."  
Abruptly, in an act reminiscent of the previous night, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Well young'un, I think this is it for us eh?"  
Tali turned and saw what he meant; the other pilgrims were starting to board the _Tarmeena _behind him.  
In a rare display of emotion, Bardi spread his arms out, an invitation for an embrace that Tali readily accepted.  
"I'm going to miss you, Bardi'Reska vas Rayya." Tali said softly, her head resting over his shoulder. Bardi normally hated his full name but right then, she didn't care. To her surprise, she heard something akin to a sob from her old mentor. Breaking free of the hug, Tali looked him over; he appeared composed enough visually but his voice suddenly sounded raw when he spoke.  
"I'll miss you too Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," he replied, appearing to regain control of his voice again, "and that better be the last time I get ta call ya that."  
Tali was about to respond when she was suddenly tackled from behind. "Tali'Zorah nar Rayya! How dare you even _think _of leaving without saying goodbye!"  
Tali laughed, spinning about to embrace her friend and letting her enthusiasm wash over her. "It was you who decided to disappear on me when I got back!"  
Naria huffed. "I was looking for _you_! I couldn't find you anywhere, you weren't in engineering, …I even tried the markets thinking you might be looking for last minute stuff for your Pilgrimage." She paused for breath. "When I finally went back to our room I saw your stuff was missing and didn't stop running 'til I got here." She gestured to the _Tarmeena_. "Barely made it too."  
"I'm sorry," Tali apologized, "but at least you caught me right?"  
"It better be worth it," Naria responded, feigning hurt, "you'd better come back with a whole new wardrobe for me after making me worry so much."  
"Better than that," Tali giggled, "I'll bring back a mirror."

"G'on kiddo," Barid said finally, indicating the waiting freighter, "goodbyes are never easy, best to get 'em over with right quick."  
Tali nodded, not daring to respond further, and scampered up the _Tarmeena's _ramp. The pilot had already returned to the cockpit and Tali felt a slight tremor through the hull of the vessel as the ship's flight systems received a burst of power.  
Standing in the still open cargo bay door Tali raised her hand in farewell, watching two of her most trusted friends mimick the gesture in response. A few seconds later, the bay door abruptly began to close, shutting off Tali's view of the landing bay.  
Slowly lowering her arm, Tali tried to burn the mental image of the pair waving farewell into her mind as she looked for a seat, instinct telling her the memory would be a welcome one whenever she was feeling homesick.

The _Tarmeena_ shook momentarily as she lifted free of the deck of the _Rayya_ before the anti-gravity stabilizers kicked in and gently held the ship steady. Tali stared at the walls of the hollow cargo bay, refusing to permit any further thoughts of despair to take hold. _I am the daughter of an Admiral and soon, an adult. No more tears, I shed enough of those last night_. Images of those she knew flickered through her mind. Bardi, her father, auntie Raan, Grulan and Naria. _They all trust me, they all believe in me and they're all counting on me to come back and make them proud._ She took one final glance at the door, imagining she could still see the figures of the people she loved so much as they stood inside the docking bay, watching the _Tarmeena_ fade as she exited the _Rayya's_ docking bay. _I_ will _make you proud._ Tali'Zorah swore to herself. _By the spirits of my ancestors, I will make you_ all_ proud._

There was a flicker around the ship as it left the dock, slipping smoothly through the blue energy field of the _Rayya's_ atmospheric shielding and entering the vast openness of space. Tali felt the hard metal of the seat press into her back as the pilot, a young Flying Officer named Sarel'Geta, slowly banked the freighter left, plotting a course to meet up with the various other transports carrying the rest of the Fleet's pilgrims. A single cruiser served both as a rally point and their escort, the sleek military vessel hovering patiently a few dozen klicks from the fleet.

The quarian seated next to Tali, a tall male in a dark red environment suit gently tapped her on the forearm. "Pilot says tune to frequency 124/Gamma if we want to hear him."  
Tali nodded, quickly calibrating the Omni-Tool she had received from Bardi to do so. "Thanks."  
The Flying Officer's voice cut into her ear mid-sentence. "-out, shouldn't take more than a few minutes to get there. Once we do, we'll enter formation around the _Norath_ and head for the mass relay to Omega; travel to the Narcissus system shouldn't take more than a few days from there."

The young engineer felt a twinge of nervousness at the mention of Omega; the asteroid mining facility turned criminal underworld had a dangerous reputation, the few quarians she knew who'd spent part of their Pilgrimage there had always talked about how much they couldn't wait to leave. Some never had. Still, at least the station wasn't their final destination and while Omega's space might be infested with roving pirates ships, few would be mad enough to think about attacking a convoy flying with cruiser escort. The _Tarmeena_ flew smoothly for a time, taking a direct path to the rendezvous point and giving Tali time to assess her fellow passengers.

The converted cargo bay had seating for just eight passengers, giving the seven pilgrims little space between each other. A young female in a white environment suit, trimmed with a soft red, sat alone in a corner; despite her best efforts, her body language bespoke the grief she tried so desperately to hide. The next pilgrim was seated next to her, a heavily built male who sat in silence, his relaxed posture exuding an air of calm acceptance. A shorter, far less imposing quarian was seated parallel to him, a direct opposite to his serene peer in every way. Wearing a simple grey suit, Tali could tell it was taking him great effort to remain still, from the ever so slight twitches of his helmet at a fresh noise to the way his fingers constantly intertwined, broke apart and then clenched together again.

Perhaps most conspicuous of all were the young couple who sat together next to the cargo door, directly opposite Tali. They looked barely old enough to be on their Pilgrimage but the two obviously cared for each other a great deal. The boy sat with his arm comfortingly around the girl, who in turn rested the soft folds of her lilac veil on his dark brown chest plate; their hands were intertwined, elongated fingers wrapped around thin palms. Tali felt a slight pang of jealousy and promptly chided herself; she'd never had any interest in such things, though she'd been given ample opportunity. Now that she thought about it, their youth might land them both in trouble anyway. Being sent to the same destination together, far from the eyes of any watchful elders could easily lead to the pair getting carried away, regardless of the quarian laws on promiscuity.

Hoping the two would have a greater respect for both their upbringing and their people, Tali snuck a glance at the tall male seated beside her, disguising the appraisal by shifting in her seat. He was certainly bigger than most quarians she'd seen; it was difficult to guess with him seated, but Tali estimated him an easy 6' 1", a good five inches higher than her own 5' 9". He was well built too, the constricting environmental suit highlighting his broad, muscular frame.

Suddenly the _Tarmeena_ swung another turn, the pilot's voice sounding through her earpiece again and matching the maneuver seamlessly. "Alright folks, as you may have guessed we've just entered formation with the _Norath, _just a few minutes until the rest of the transports get here and then it's on to the relay." His voice, up until now light and almost carefree, took on a quieter conspirational tone. "Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but once we jump we'll leave signal range with the fleet. If anyone happened to quietly head up to the cockpit and perhaps, while I'm busy with my instruments, boost their Omni-Tool's range using the ship's comm so they could talk to someone back on the fleet before the jump…well, I'm so busy making sure this autopilot does its job I doubt I'd even notice."

Tali thought about the offer for a minute, then remembering what Bardi had said back in the _Rayya's_ docking bay, decided against it. To her surprise, none of the other passengers seemed interested either, only the young female who'd tried so much to hide her tears made as if to go, and even she promptly sat back down again when she appeared to think better of it."Good thing he's the ranking officer," the quarian next to Tali confided quietly, "if any of the brass caught him offering that they could bust him down to private." Tali nodded wordlessly, thinking how terrible that must be. Piloting a ship was a great privilege in the quarian fleet and their Flying Officer sounded young, young enough that this had to be his first commission. If his actions on his first vessel were called into question, chances are his career as a pilot would be over for good. She wondered if he'd simply been ignorant when making such an offer, or if it was motivated by pure kindness; if it was the latter, she would be grateful for his risk.

Another few minutes went by whilst _Tarmeena_ held position, the comm in her ear silent. Tali hated waiting like this and it was evident the rest of the passengers felt the same. The most visibly agitated male finally hopped out of his seat and began pacing the small length of the hold, muttering into his silver visor under his breath; before long a soft lurch forward as the pilot gave power to the thrusters nearly caught him off balance.  
"Everybody must be in formation now." Tali mused.  
"Yes," her companion responded casually, settling back in his seat, "won't be long now."  
A few minutes later, Sarel'Geta's voice bursting through her comms once more confirmed his guess. "Alright folks we're all in position now." Said the pilot, a barely disguised glee dominating his tone. "Better sit down and strap in 'cause we're about to initiate the jump to Omega!"

**Author Notes  
**In case anyone was wondering, solving the logistical questions relating to quarians, showers and the dangers of stripping out of a germ-laden suit are confuzzlingly hard. Also, hitting writer's block is not fun; imma go see the C-Sec officer on the Citadel and requisition a Spectre-class sledgehammer from him in case it shows up again.

It took me a while to decide if I wanted Tali to encounter Bardi again before leaving, but it seemed to fit the characters. It was a difficult scene to write; hopefully I haven't gone overboard with these lengthy goodbyes. Anyway, next chapter things will pick up a bit in terms of action which I've no doubt you'll all be delighted to hear.


	4. Chapter 4: Hostiles

**Chapter 4 – Hostiles  
**The _Tarmeena_ lurched violently at the sudden acceleration from the mass relay, the ship appearing to stretch absurdly in length for a moment before shooting into the void in a haze of brilliant blue energy. The abrupt increase in velocity still managed to catch Tali'Zorah off guard, provoking an involuntary pained gasp as she felt her body strain against the bracing straps of her seat. The modified freighter creaked and groaned alarmingly, shuddering as a result of the great strain it was under; Tali, and indeed the rest of the passengers, found themselves praying it wouldn't disintegrate mid-transit. Fortunately the ship held together, bursting back into normal space at the corresponding 'sister' relay in the Omega system mere seconds after mass travel had been initiated. The equally sudden deceleration flung Tali's body in the opposite direction, her helmet bashing against the brace's padded arms with such force she felt her teeth rattle.

"Keelah…" she groaned, sinking down into her seat and thanking the ancestors it was over.  
"First time through a relay in a small ship?" asked her seatmate who seemed remarkably unperturbed by the experience.  
"Yes, and hopefully the last." Tali muttered darkly.  
"I've done it a couple of times before," he revealed, "the trick is to try and relax; you go tense and you can tear a muscle."  
"Thanks," she groaned softly as she undid her harness, "I'll try to remember that in future."  
"I guess I should have mentioned that before we jumped huh?" He remarked, a twinge of embarrassment in his tone.  
Tali shrugged, and promptly wished she hadn't. "I know for next time at least. You said you've done this before, so…you didn't serve on the _Rayya_?" she asked, surprised.  
"I was born on the _Neema_," he confided quietly, "they shipped me over to the _Rayya_ early this morning. I was our ship's only pilgrim this time around and Admiral Gerrel didn't see the use in burning resources sending a whole ship out just for me."  
"So they put you on the _Rayya's_ roster." Tali deduced. _I guess that explains his accent._ "You didn't mind?"  
He shook his head. "What was there to mind? It made perfect logistical sense and it saved me a lonely flight with just a pilot for company."  
Sarel'Geta's voice momentarily cut off further conversation. "This is your pilot again, we've successfully jumped to Omega and we should be back on course in just a few moments. As you probably know we're headed to the Narcissus system which is on the far side of Omega, we'll have cruiser escort as far as Imorkan and then we'll be on our own while the _Norath_ takes the rest of the transports within range of their various destinations."

The quarian convoy was few enough in number that they had managed to jump through the relay together, resulting in a perfectly preserved formation as they re-entered normal space, though as often happened, the relatively imprecise nature of relay travel had resulted in them being a few hundred kilometers off course. It was a strange experience for Tali; not only had she been aboard the _Rayya_ for each of her previous encounters with a relay jump, a relatively comfortable experience due to the ship's artificial gravity generators, but the _Rayya_ only entered relays with the rest of the fleet, an act that could take weeks due to the sheer volume of ships. Aboard the _Tarmeena_ the jump may have been rough but at least it was over almost as soon as it began.

Time passed slowly as the convoy made their way through the system, the pilgrims struggling to keep themselves amused; most opted to sleep, while others recorded private messages to send to family and friends back on the flotilla. Tali spent much of the time in the cockpit, examining the various systems, components and maintenance subroutines that powered the ship. While Sarel'Geta wouldn't allow her to modify anything, a wise precaution given the fact that he knew little about her capabilities, he was happy to let her examine the ship and Tali was only too keen to garner what knowledge she could. Unfortunately, like the outside of the _Tarmeena_ the internal components were quite old and unremarkable. She'd absorbed any information she cared to retain about them within hours, dozens of ideas about how she'd improve it running through her mind the more she read, making it all the more irritable that she couldn't. She supposed that, given the sudden switch of transports the flight crew hadn't had time to fully optimize the _Tarmeena_ before launch; then again, even with just the internal systems she could see at least four separate, very simple modifications that could have been programmed inside of an hour which would have given the ship almost double its current output.

Sighing, she pushed herself away from the co-pilot's console.  
"Found something else you want to change?" asked the Flying Officer with a chuckle, glancing back at her from his worn pilot's chair.  
"It_ is_ frustrating." Tali admitted.  
"Believe me I'd be more than happy for you to modify this old bucket a bit, might actually give me some enjoyment flying her. But," he murmured, checking their position on the scope, "regs are regs."  
"You didn't seem too concerned about regulations just before we jumped." Tali remarked, spinning the chair to face him.  
Sarel didn't look up. "Yeah, well. There's a bit of a difference between giving someone five minutes on the comm and giving them permission to optimize systems mid flight, especially with other passengers and crew aboard."  
Tali cocked her head to one side and back again, an unconscious gesture of deference or acknowledgement. "True." Hopping out of the chair she leaned over his shoulder, examining the display for herself. "How's our formation holding?"  
"Pretty well." The pilot responded, his abruptly brighter tone betraying that he was glad to be back to safer subjects. "All nine transports are in staggered formation around the cruiser, gives us plenty of breathing space and if we were ever attacked, most of us should have the cruiser's armour plating between us and them."  
"And if we're the ones in front of the attackers?" asked Tali, staring at the 10 green dots on screen as they steadily pulsed their locations within the convoy.  
"The _Norath's_ GARDIAN lasers should be able to lay down adequate cover fire while we slip around under or above her into what's effectively the "dark side of the moon" as far as the enemy would be concerned."  
"We wouldn't get in the way of the _Norath's_ fire lines?" she asked questioningly.  
Sarel shook his head with a smile. "Nah, those lasers are pinpoint, there's no way they'd hit a ship tagged with a friendly IFF."

Tali was about to sit down again and leave the young Flying Officer to his piloting when two red spots appeared out of nowhere on the scope. "Those don't look friendly."  
Sarel's head snapped around at her words and his body imperceptibly tensed when her caught sight of the anomalies. "That's because they're not." he replied, his voice suddenly strained. Tali quietly backed away, settling herself in her chair once more and tapping away on her console while Sarel brought them out of autopilot. Bringing up a copy of the scope she magnified the outlines of the hostile ships, shaking her head in amazement at their audacity when the _Tarmeena's_ aging ship identification system eventually tagged them as small, two man fighters, a fact she had already deduced due to their small size.

A deep male voice cut into the cockpit, heavy with static. "Attention all ships, this is the _Norath_. We have potential hostile contact at grid location One-Two-Zero by Five Three Zero; all ships are to take up defensive position on the _Norath's_ port side immediately. Maintain a distance of at least 15 kilometers between each vessel. We will contact you when we have more information, _Norath_ out."  
Sarel'Geta hadn't even waited for the comms officer to finish speaking, banking the _Tarmeena_ hard to port as soon as he'd received the order. Keying his own comm the Flying Officer's voice penetrated the rest of the ship. "Um, sorry to disturb you back there folks but I'd appreciate it if you all strapped in. We've got a few armed vessels nearby, nothing serious but the _Norath_ wants us ready just in case."  
To his credit the Flying Officer's voice was calm, but he could not hide the slight waver of fear. Down in the hold the pilgrims stopped what they were doing, whispers of surprise and panic spreading as they followed his instructions, a palpable sense of apprehension rippling through them.

Silently watching as Sarel flicked the comm off and focused on his piloting, Tali herself felt little beyond a slight twinge of anticipation; nobody, no matter how violent Omega space was, would be stupid enough to engage a military cruiser for the sake of a few quarian pilgrims, the very notion was absurd. As if to prove her point the _Norath's_ comms officer transmitted through Sarel's radio a few moments later. "All ships, this is the _Norath_. Armed vessels are falling back, standby to receive orders to resume formation. _Norath_ out."  
Sarel slumped back slightly in his seat. "Crisis over." He whispered softly to himself before abruptly straightening and hitting the comm to the hold once more, again sounding more like the calm professional than the scared young Flying Officer that he had been mere moments before. "Well folks you can all relax back there now, it looks like the ships have taken the hint and took off. I apologise for any panic, let me assure you we weren't in any danger. Unfortunately this_ is_ Omega; you're bound to get idiots who think they can stand up to the full might of a military cruiser." Sarel paused to clear his throat, shaking his head at the scope where the two fighters had been. "Anyway, we should make headway to the next nav-point in just a few hours, be right on Omega's doorstep once we do."

A few more hours passed without event, Tali's attention now turning to the local star map which Sarel'Geta was only too willing to explain the basics of. "We're pretty easy to spot," he said, pointing to the soft glow of the green arrow that indicated their position, "and the planets are pretty self-explanatory, at this zoom all you can see are their names but if you tap them…like this…you'll get a quick description of their stats and what basics we know of them."  
Tali watched as a small text panel for the planet Bindur appeared on screen.  
"It's not much," continued Sarel, indicating the pitifully small paragraph, "but then, Bindur is a backwater really."  
"You seem to know quite a bit about this system, did you come here on your Pilgrimage?"  
Sarel snorted. "Pilgrimage? On Omega? Keelah no, no way would I come here by choice. I just make a point of reading up on my next destination."  
"Is it really that bad?" Tali asked. "Omega I mean."  
He sat back in his chair and nodded slowly. "You hear stories, when you're on Pilgrimage…and they weren't exactly the kind you'd tell your kids at night."  
She mulled this over for a bit before turning her attention back to the star map. "So according to this, we should be passing by it in a few minutes right?" She zoomed in on their next waypoint, prompting the appearance of a small timer. "22 minutes to be exact?"  
"So long as you trust that thing, yeah; personally I've seen them get it wrong so many times I gave up on it long ago."  
The engineer nodded knowingly. "Computers huh?"  
"Yeah, maybe one day they'll finally make one that can estimate accurately."  
A soft bleeping from the star map caught Tali's attention. "Uh-oh, more red dots."  
Sarel glanced at his scope and straightened slowly in his seat. "Probably just more fighters coming to get scared off by the cruiser." His hand reached for the comm and abruptly froze in mid-air. "Holy…"  
Tali magnified the star map and immediately saw what he meant. The two red dots they'd seen earlier would have been a welcome sight compared to the six, no, _seven_ blips that swarmed threateningly near their position. The pilot unfroze and immediately grabbed the controls, swinging the ship up with a maneuverability that belied its appearance. Tali found herself inexplicitly keying the comm in his stead.  
"Hey guys, better get seated, fast. We've got hostiles on scanner again and this time they don't look like the type to back down."  
"Thanks." Geta called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off his instruments.  
"Yeah." Tali replied uncertainly as she flicked the speaker off, still unsure where the instinct to warn the rest of the passengers had come from. Examining the star map once more she magnified their position and watched as the _Tarmeena_ and the other transports hastily changed formation, putting the _Norath_ and her guns between them and the attackers. To say there was no audible communication between the ships they moved together almost flawlessly, slipping into their positions as if operating as one mind.

Catching sight of tiny red streaks emitting from the enemy ships, Tali dragged the map over to them with the tip of her finger and gasped in surprise. _Those couldn't possibly be…  
_"What?" demanded Sarel, quickly searching his own scope.  
"I…I think those are missiles." Tali said, stunned that the hostiles were daring to fire on a military cruiser that vastly outgunned their own tiny fighters. _It can't be, surely. This ancient equipment has to be reading it wrong_. Suddenly the door to the cockpit slid open with a groan, making both quarians jump in their seats and spin to face the intruder.

To her astonishment Tali recognized the tall quarian she had been conversing with back in the hold. He glanced around the cockpit and spotted Tali at the co-pilot's console. "I'm going to need you to move. Now." All previous traces of civility in his voice were gone, politeness replaced by steely inflection.  
Tali just stared blankly at him, amazed at his nerve; even Sarel seemed taken aback.  
"Just who the hell do you think you are?" The Flying Officer asked angrily.  
The red-suited quarian fixed him with a stare. "Naval Lieutenant Ren'Gerrel nar Neema and unless you have some actual military experience I'm pulling rank, _Flying Officer._"  
If Tali were to guess, she'd have said Sarel's mouth was hanging open under his helmet.  
"Uh y-yes Sir." stammered the young pilot, promptly switching his attention back to his displays to escape his new superior's wrath.

Tali had already vacated her seat upon revelation of his rank, standing aside as the Lieutenant swung himself into the station and set about examining the co-pilot's displays. Tali took up a position behind the two, standing with a slight hunch in the cramped cockpit, her hand gripping the synthetic leather 'hooks' that dangled from the ceiling to steady herself. The engineer found herself reluctant to leave the cabin, needing to see what was on the screens, to know what was going on; going back to the hold to be deaf and blind like the rest of them was unfathomable. She couldn't explain why she felt that way, common sense told her she should be scared, terrified even; in truth she was but it was hidden away deep on some other level, overridden by an inexplicable air of…anticipation that saturated the entire cabin, so strong she could almost taste it. Tali hovered behind the Lieutenant, watching as he assumed command as though he'd been there the whole time.

"Ok, seven short range fighters, standard cluster formation." He scrolled the map with practiced ease, stabbing at various commands that Tali hadn't dared touch. "Missiles loose, tracking…one per ship, should be easy pickings for the _Norath's_ GARDIAN system." He leant forward slightly in his seat, muttering to himself. "_Ibelin's_ out of position by a few dozen meters…shouldn't put her at risk. Have we heard anything from the _Norath_?"  
"I think she's been too busy responding to the threat sir." Sarel volunteered.  
The quarian known as Ren nodded. "Those missiles are trying to slip under the _Norath's_ belly; bring us up a few notches Mr Geta, let's make sure we're well out of their way." the quiet professionalism in his voice seeming to bring a measure of calm to the Flying Officer.  
"Aye, aye sir." responded the pilot, gently thrusting the ship upwards and causing Tali to spread her legs wide for balance.  
Ren examined his displays again. "All missiles are off the scope, guess the cruiser cleaned 'em up, along with five of their fighters." He paused briefly. "And there goes the last two, all fighters down."  
"So we're safe, it's over?" asked Tali, unsure if she was disappointed or relieved. It had ended so quickly; some strange part of her wanted more, wanted to have some other part in this than that of a spectator, even as her head told her to be grateful they'd all gotten through unscathed.  
The Lieutenant relaxed slightly and turned his chair to face her. "I think so, yes." His voice was softer now, the same as when they'd first spoken. "I apologise if I seemed rude before, when I heard you over the comm rather than the pilot I knew things must have been pretty serious." He turned his head to acknowledge Sarel. "I guess once I saw what was going on my military training took over. I-"

His words were cut off by a dull thud that resonated throughout the ship. _Tarmeena_ lurched violently and with such force that Tali was sent sprawling against the consoles, the unyielding metal edge slamming painfully into her abdomen. Even Sarel and Ren, despite being seated, were wrenched about by the motion. Klaxon blared and an automatic door slid shut behind them, sealing the trio in the cabin. Brya was the first to recover, his voice back to its unnerving steadiness.  
"Missile impact in the hold, port side, torn clean through the hull. Atmospheric pressure has been preserved in the cabin but we've lost it throughout the rest of the ship."  
Tali picked herself up, clutching one of the overhead hooks and struggling to process what she was hearing. _We've been hit?  
_Sarel tightened his grip around the stick, flicking off the piercing klaxon with his free hand while a myriad beeping warning lights from the consoles reflected off the dark glass of his visor.  
"Electrical fire in engine 2, shutting it down and activating emergency contamination routines." continued Ren, his hands flying across the keys in front of him like he'd been there all his life.  
Tali felt useless, standing there clutching her bruised ribs watching the two professionals attempt to salvage their ship.

Her eyes strayed to scanning the plasti-glass viewscreen of the cockpit in a vain attempt to spot their attackers against the backdrop of space. _I thought they were gone, destroyed._ She remembered watching over the Lieutenant's shoulder as the two red blips had abruptly disappeared off the scope. _He said they had been killed, so how had they managed to come back from the dead and get around the Norath so fast? Had he been wrong? Why hadn't the cruiser's GARDIAN systems destroyed their ordanance? _A much more chilling thought penetrated her web of panic. _Keelah…would they fire again?_ The _Tarmeena_ was a civilian vessel and an old one at that, it was a miracle she'd survived one hit, a second would surely vaporize what was left of her. Tali felt her skin crawl, her heart hammering rapidly in her chest; never had she been so afraid. _I can't die out here, I can't_. Faces flashed in front of her eyes: her mother, her father, Bardi, Naria and auntie Raan. _I _can't _die!_

Ren's words jarred her out of her thoughts.  
"Maneuverability down 60%, FTL system is down and navigation is shot." He reported grimly. "Fire's still going in engine 2, now at risk of spreading to fuel lines."  
Her aunt's words echoed in her head. _He has already lost your mother little one, think what losing you would do to him. _Tali forced herself to look away from the viewscreen, concentrating on the fire icon resonating on the Lieutenant's display. _He won't lose me auntie Raan, I won't let it happen!  
_Ordinary procedure dictated that fires be exposed to the vacuum, as fires relied on oxygen to keep burning; this was normally an effective way of combating them provided it did not put personnel at risk. In this case however, it hadn't worked, probably due to the fire being electrical in nature. _That's it!  
_"Shut down the power to the engine!" Tali cried.  
Ren didn't even look away from the console. "What?"  
"Engine 2; if the fire's electrical, shutting down the power should extinguish it before the fuel lines go up!"  
"She's right," chimed in Geta, wrenching the control yoke in an attempt to keep the stricken ship level, "basic engineering practice."  
Ren scrambled out of the chair, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. Tali wasted no time hopping into the freshly vacated seat, her fingers fairly gliding over the keys. "Shutting down engine 2 and re-routing power to engine 1…diverting excess energy to the stabilizers." Numerous lights on the console winked from red to green. "There! The fire's out, fuel lines preserved." She rotated slightly in her seat, turning to the Flying Officer. "She should be a bit easier to handle now too."  
Sarel nodded, not taking his eyes from his screens. "I can keep her level, but not for long; structural damage is too high, we stay out here much longer the ship'll split apart under its own inertia."  
Ren'Gerrel, powerful frame dominating the cabin, stared at the back of Geta's helmet. "The only place within range is-"  
"Omega or the cruiser," the pilot finished for him grimly, "I know.

Tali scanned the console, a steadily pulsing light catching her eye; she examined the label and quickly activated it, causing the cabin's comm to erupt with voices. "Attention _Tarmeena_, this is the _Norath_, acknowledge, over." Sarel nearly sent them into a spin reaching for the comm. "Acknowledged _Norath_, this is the _Tarmeena_, we're still here, over."  
There was an audible pause on the other end before the comms officer responded, a distinct relief in his tone. "Roger _Tarmeena_, good to hear you, we thought we'd lost you there."  
Sarel's eyes narrowed as he focused on his instruments. "So did we _Norath_. Our scope's a bit skittish over here, you mind reassuring me that we're not going to get hit again?"  
"Affirmative _Tarmeena_, you're clear. All hostiles neutralized." There was a pause then his voice came back, heavy with regret. "They caught us by surprise, came from the ice cloud to starboard. We thought between the shields and the GARDIAN network we'd gotten all the missiles but one must have slipped though."  
"I hadn't noticed." Ren muttered darkly.  
The Flying Officer shot him a glance, though Tali couldn't tell if it was a subtle, unofficial rebuke or an acknowledgement. "Roger that _Norath_, we've had a breach in the hold, it's depressurized and we're barely holding together now; can you give us a visual on the damage from there?"  
"Standby _Tarmeena_."  
Seconds went by then Tali's screen switched to a close up of the _Tarmeena's_ exterior, taken directly from the _Norath's_ hull cams.  
Tali felt her hand fly to her mouth involuntarily. "_Keelah_…" Sarel leaned in closer for a better view as if disbelieving the image and even Ren froze.  
"That's…us?" Tali whispered, as if questioning it would suddenly cause the ship to fall apart.  
Ren shook his head in quiet amazement.  
"How in the hell are we still flying?" Geta breathed.

A gaping hole existed where the bulbous hold of the ship had once been. Girders of scorched metal protruded into the cavity, twisted and malformed. Particles of what was once the hull drifted steadily into space, pirouetting freely while distant stars winked at them through the other side of the ship, mocking their existence. Tali froze as the _Norath's_ cam rotated and she caught a glimpse of what remained of the passenger seats. _The other pilgrims had still been in there. Keelah, how have I not thought of them before! _She tried to speak but her throat suddenly constricted at the sight of the very same chair she had been seated in only a few hours ago. Standing empty at the very edge of the hole, the chair had been seared black and shorn in two by the impact of the missile. _I could be dead right now._ The thought was too much to comprehend and she sank back in her seat wordlessly.

"_Tarmeena_, we're not seeing movement in the hold; do you have survivors onboard, over?"  
Sarel didn't respond.  
"_Tarmeena?"  
_Ren hit the comm. "Confirmed _Norath_, two survivors, both in the cockpit."  
"Good to hear _Tarmeena_, we're scanning the debris for other survivors now, please hold."  
Tali couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned to face Ren, arms wrapped tightly across her midsection for comfort. "C-couldn't there be more of us? I mean…these suits have oxygen supplies, they could still be out there, sucked into space…right?"  
Sarel tore his eyes from the screen and glanced wordlessly at her before busying himself with his instruments once again. The young engineer searched Ren's visor for a response, watching the faint outlines of his dark eyes flicker uncertainly. Finally, he slowly shook his head. "Most will have been killed outright by the blast." He spoke gently, his voice tinged by his own grief. "There _could_ be some that were vacuumed, but the chances of them being without a breach in their suit from the explosion and debris are…minimal at best." Tali looked away, too overcome to speak.

"_Norath_ here, we're currently retrieving two possible survivors from amongst the wreckage, too early to tell if they're alive or not."  
"We copy _Norath_." Sarel responded quietly.  
The Lieutenant drew his attention away from the recording just as a shudder ran through the ship, filling the cabin with the screeching groan of metal on metal.  
Tali felt a chill run up her spine, terrified that Sarel'Geta's earlier predictions might prove true and the ship really would break apart; to his credit, the young pilot didn't take his eyes from his flying.  
Ren braced his hand against the wall to steady himself. "You weren't kidding when you said we wouldn't last much longer, we need to get this thing grounded. Now."  
Gulping audibly, the young Flying Officer nodded nervously from his controls. "Ah-attention _Norath_, we're, ah, we're plotting a course for Omega to make an emergency landing."  
The _Norath's_ officer came back, his voice laced with doubt. "Suggest docking with the cruiser, over."  
"Negative _Norath_, I have very little control over the ship." Replied Geta, firmly. "It's going to be tough enough keeping us in a straight line to Omega, no way I can attempt to dock with you, over."  
"Copy that _Tarmeena_, we'll fly over-watch and make sure you have plenty of room, out."  
"Good call." Ren remarked. "Docking with a ship like that is always a tricky business, no way you're pulling it off with maneuverability this bad."  
Sarel nodded. "I just hope Omega has a more simplistic docking bay."  
Ren snorted. "Omega? I'd be surprised if it had anything more sophisticated than a strip of metal poking out of its hide."  
"With the way this thing's handling that's exactly what I _hope_ they have."

Tense minutes slowly ticked by as they edged ever closer to the space station, the asteroid-turned-city orbiting ominously in a ring of deadly rock. "How are we going to fly through that?" Tali'Zorah asked, "I thought you said we could barely fly straight."  
"Better comm the _Norath_," added Gerrel, "ask for them to fly broadside and have their kinetic barriers deflect the asteroids from us."  
Sarel swiftly did so and the cruiser accelerated in response, taking up a position less than 15 kilometers from what was left of _Tarmeena's_ port flank.  
"Not so close…" Geta whispered tersely.  
"The closer the better," Ren countered, "less space for something to deflect into us."  
"Still doesn't make _me_ feel any better." Tali muttered, thankful that the viewscreen only presented them with whatever happened to be in front; she didn't think she could handle being able to physically see the massive quarian cruiser flying steadily alongside them.

Silence enveloped the cockpit once more, neither the Lieutenant nor the engineer willing to risk disturbing the pilot's concentration. Tali had to fight the urge to pace but didn't dare move for fear of upsetting anything within the ship. Sarel sat straight as a ramrod in the pilot's seat, gripping the controls so tightly she thought he might break something. It was all down to the young quarian now, all their lives rested in his hands and it looked like he was uncomfortably aware of it. Ren looked the exact opposite, almost relaxed, knees slightly bent to accommodate his tall figure in the cramped cabin. If it wasn't for the fact that his eyes were closed behind his faceplate, the dim light that reflected onto his visor extinguished, Tali would have said he was impossible to unsteady.

They entered the asteroid field then, the _Norath's_ length and bulk shielding them from the deadly hunks of rock that spun and twisted all around them. Any projectiles on the starboard side of the _Tarmeena_ that looked even remotely threatening were expertly shattered into dust by the cruiser's GARDIAN turrets, the Gunnery Officer clearly working overtime to designate the rocks as 'hostile', possibly an attempt at retribution for his earlier mistake regarding the missile that had gutted the transport. Omega lay in the distance, easily identifiable thanks to its hollowed out core that housed a criminal underworld like no other. A single spire descended out of the centre, easily doubling the length of the station; it was surrounded by tendril-like spines that stuck out into space, remnants of the old mining operations that used to dominate local space.

"I really hope they open those docking bay doors soon…" Sarel murmured, making minor adjustments to their course while glancing nervously at the giant asteroid city that loomed in from of them, its mass beginning to fill the viewport. So far there had been few signs of life, with a small number of ships coming and going from the glowing red 'tendrils' that protruded from the city's base. Quite where they had come from Tali couldn't tell, all she knew was that the part of Omega they were approaching looked very devoid of landing bays. They drifted ever closer, tension rising in the cabin as they each realized that pretty soon they wouldn't be able to avoid a collision.

Suddenly, when they were only a few hundred kilometers out a gap appeared in the wall of rock ahead of them, widening to show a small, very spartan landing bay tucked away behind, the exact simple metal strip Geta had wished for.  
"Thank you ancestors." Tali whispered, relief washing through her at the welcome sight.  
"All clear _Tarmeena_, they're opening the doors directly ahead of you. Recommend minor course adjustment to heading 342.128." confirmed _Norath_ finally.  
"Adjusting," responded Sarel, "mind if I ask how you managed to convince them to let us land _Norath_?"  
"Threatened to blow a hole open for you instead."  
The comms officer almost sounded amused. Lieutenant Gerrel snorted appreciatively.  
"Copy _Norath_, our thanks." Sarel didn't take his eyes from the viewscreen as he spoke. "Don't relax just yet you two, this is where it gets difficult."  
Tali immediately felt the tension surge again in response and she reached to make sure her seat's straps were secure. Behind her, Ren wrapped his hands tightly around the synthetic leather roof hooks and spread his legs wide, dropping into a crouch to absorb the inevitable impact.

The landing bay doors hung open invitingly, a small crew of firefighters with rusty equipment standing ready to receive them behind the station's atmospheric shielding; Tali noticed they stood well back but decided it was better not to mention it. Omega grew at an alarming rate, the edges of the asteroid disappearing from the viewport; seconds later and the only thing they could see was the docking bay, energy fields flickering with an uncertainty that mirrored Tali's own. "This is it guys, hang on tight!" cried Sarel as he applied the deceleration thrusters, the sudden shift in motion gently shunting them back in their seats.  
"Aren't we going a little fast?" Ren remarked, the first traces of worry showing in his voice.  
"I'm working on it!" Sarel shot back, nimble fingers flying over his console.  
Tali felt the ship slow even further in response but the docking bay still zoomed towards them at an alarming rate, the fire crews scattering as they collectively seemed to come to the conclusion that 200 yards was far too close.

The prow of the _Tarmeena_ flickered as she punctured the energy shield, then the entire viewport filled with the blue haze as it washed over the battered freighter. Alarms abruptly began to sound all over the cabin as the ship re-entered an atmosphere and Geta ignored each and every one of them. He keyed in other controls with his left hand, pulling back on the yoke with his right; the ship groaned in protest, screeched as another burst from the deceleration thrusters arrested her flight. _Tarmeena_ slowed yet again, a shudder rumbling through the ship as something detached itself from the rear. Sarel pulled even harder on the yoke and the freighter dropped like a stone in response, eating up the few metres of space until it hit the deck with a heavy clang. Metal squealed and sparks flew as she scraped across the ground; inside the cockpit the three quarians shook from the impact, Tali and Sarel juddering in their seats as metal ground itself to shards beneath their feet.

Sarel hit every brake he could find and put all his weight into lifting the nose of the stricken craft, praying he'd keep the tail from rising and the ship from tumbling end over end. Tali could feel _Tarmeena_ slowing, the shattered remains of the vessel nearing the end of the landing bay and risking pulverizing them against the solid walls of the room. "Come on you hunk of scrap, come ON!" Sarel screamed over the din of braying alarms and screeching metal. Almost as if it heard him, the _Tarmeena_ slowed heavily in response, the near skeletal remains grinding to a stop mere yards from the unwavering metal walls of the landing bay.

"Keelah…" whispered the Flying Officer in disbelief, his voice barely audible over the shrill cries of the alarms, "I-I did it. Keelah. I'm alive. We're alive. I did it." He removed his hands from the controls, staring at them in dumbfounded amazement as they shook like leaves in the wind. Tali couldn't take her eyes off the wall through the viewport, her breathing was fast and she sounded close to hyperventilation. _We almost hit it._ The thought spun around in her head over and over, playing like a broken holo-record. Ren picked himself up off the floor where he'd been thrown from the initial impact, clutching at a sudden surge of pain in his calf. "Let's get out of this thing," ordered the Lieutenant, his voice laced with irritation at his pain, "it could still go up at any second."

Sarel and Tali barely heard him and his words registered with neither. Muttering under his breath Ren took each of them by the shoulder and shook them roughly in turn. They regarded him with blank stares in response. "Out. Now." He commanded forcibly, pulling Tali out of her seat and helping her towards the door. "Before she goes up in flames and all this ends up being for nothing." He stopped to key the exit switch next to the cabin door. "Geta! You coming?" The pilot nodded, slowly at first, then with renewed vigor. "Yes sir, yes sir. I'll be right there sir." The Lieutenant observed him for a moment as if to satisfy himself, then nodded affirmation and keyed the door open.

No sooner did he and Tali clamber out of the cockpit than they were roughly pushed aside by a slew of aliens. The Lieutenant cursed, almost sprawling to the deck in the sudden melee. Tali clashed with a vicious alien that hissed angrily at her when she struggled to bypass him in the crowd. Its malevolent red eyes lit up in fury and a mouth full of thin, razor sharp teeth snarled a warning: "Out of the way, stupid sick peoples!" Tali, pulled abruptly out of her stupor at the sight of the hideous thing, momentarily bristled at the insult but the mad bustle of the crowd and the alien's intimidating leer got the best of her. She hastily ducked aside and scrambled through the sea of people, eventually bursting through them and wincing at the various bruises she'd received. A hand grasped her forearm and she spun, fist clenched and ready to connect directly with the alien's hideous face.

"Easy, easy!" The Lieutenant cried, arresting her hand in mid swing, "it's me, it's Ren."  
Tali's hand relaxed, a relieved gasp escaping them both. Ren released her hands and Tali took a step back, feeling herself going limp all over with relief.  
"I can't believe we made it." She confided quietly, looking back at the blackened scar they had gouged into the landing bay's deck.  
"Yeah, Sarel did a damn good job…and speaking of Sarel," Ren realized, "where the hell is he?"  
The two quarians gazed into the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of their friend but in the chaos it was an impossible task. Ren was about to elbow his way back into the cockpit when a weak voice hailed them.  
"Over here!" A panting Sarel lifted his hand weakly to catch their attention, standing with his hands on his knees a few yards to their left.  
"Sarel!" Tali cried, promptly running over and helping take the beleaguered pilot's weight, "what happened? Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine," he groaned as the pair helped him away from the ship, "took an elbow to the ribs somewhere, winded me is all. I tell ya, they threw me out of that cockpit like I wasn't even there; I was out of the ship before I knew what was going on."  
"What were you still doing in there?" questioned Ren.  
"Trashing the ship's records, couldn't let them get their hands on anything about the Fleet's position."  
Ren nodded, the Flying Officer's actions making sense. The coordinates of the Migrant Fleet were restricted to quarians and only those who needed to travel to and from it. They were rarely passed out to anyone else and certainly not Omega's pirates and criminals.

"You made sure it's all gone?" the Lieutenant asked.  
"Certain, don't worry sir," replied Geta firmly, "they're not getting anything other than spare parts out of that thing."  
"Speaking of spare parts, it looks like that's all that going to be left of her pretty soon." said Ren soberly.  
Tali and Sarel turned to see what he was looking at, realizing the truth of his statement at the sight of dozens of alien's scrabbling in and around the _Tarmeena_, ripping, cutting and disassembling bits and pieces of the freighter as they went. Though they'd saturated her exterior in flame dampening fluids from the firefighting equipment Tali knew the ship could easily ignite from the inside out. The aliens probably knew it too but they seemed completely heedless of the danger.  
"I thought they were fire crews, not thieves!" Tali cried indignantly.  
"We don't save people who fly around in scrap for nothing girlie," chuckled a gruff batarian, elbowing her out of the way as he carried some unidentifiable chunks of metal off the wreck, "you don't like it go crying back to yer flotilla."  
Ren shot the retreating alien a glare and pulled Tali aside.  
"Can they even do this?" she asked incredulously.  
He didn't respond.  
They watched in silence as the _Tarmeena_ was cannibalized, the ship slowly disintegrating piece by piece as the denizens of Omega, from vorcha to batarian, took either as much as they wanted or as much as they could carry. Surveying the carnage with his arms across his chest, Ren shook his head in quiet disbelief. "I'd heard the stories about this place, the people, but seeing it for yourself…"  
Geta, seated atop a discarded pile of firefighting equipment, stared glumly at the charred, fragmented mess that had once been his ship and sighed.  
"Welcome to Omega."


	5. Chapter 5: Omega

**Chapter 5 - Omega  
**As the three quarians watched their freighter get slowly picked apart Sarel'Geta's Omni-tool appeared on his forearm, its gentle orange luminescence casting a faint glow on the fabrics of his silver suit. Three pairs of eyes flew to it and the Flying Officer quickly keyed in a response. In silence the FO took a few steps away from them, the slight tilt of his head indicating that he was receiving an incoming comms call. Tali and Ren watched on quietly, having to make do with a one sided conversation.  
"Affirmative, we all made it out alive and unscathed. Aside from my nerves anyway."  
A pause. "Negative, the ship is gone. What was left of her is in the middle of being carted away by the fire and maintenance crews; apparently it's payment for their allowing us to make an emergency landing."  
Sarel propped his foot up on a nearby hunk of scrap metal. "Copy that, what about the survivors here?"  
He glanced back at them and Tali felt her suspicions rising in response; her eyes never left the pilot and to her right, Ren slowly and markedly crossed his arms in a subtle gesture of displeasure.

Sarel turned again, putting his back to them, his voice incredulous. "You can't be serious."  
Tali glanced up questioningly at the taller Ren, who gave a noncommittal shrug in response.  
"I understand that Norath, but wouldn't it be safer to take them back to the Fleet?" Geta kicked off the scrap metal, facing his two charges once more. "I understand _Norath_," he said finally, resigned, "I'll let them know. Any word on the two bodies pulled from the wreckage?"  
At the reply, Sarel nodded to himself slowly, his shoulders dropping almost imperceptibly. "Copy that." He answered quietly. "May they reside with their ancestors, Keelah Selai."

The Omni-tool winked out and Sarel expelled a heavy sigh.  
"So?" asked Ren, his words both invitation and warning.  
"As you could probably hear, that was the _Norath_; they're sending a shuttle to pick me up."  
"_Just_ you?" Tali ventured, immediately picking up on the discrepancy.  
"Just me." He confirmed soberly. "None of the other ships in the convoy are going to the Narcissus system and they can't afford a major course diversion, Decrius will just have to do without you both."  
"And we don't go back to the fleet either?" said Ren, noting his earlier words.  
"_Norath's_ captain seems to think it's useless to send you both back, best case scenario they'll have to burn more resources sending another ship and maybe an escort to get you to Decrius. Worst case, you'd be stuck on the flotilla until the next Pilgrimage flight." The pilot shrugged apologetically. "They figured you'd prefer to have an impromptu start to your Pilgrimage here instead."  
"On Omega," Tali stated in disbelief, "after all those horror stories about this place, after everything you said back on the ship?"  
"It's either that or go home and admit to everyone you couldn't handle it." Sarel shook his head. "I don't like leaving you here any more than you do, but you know that's ultimately what they're going to say if you do go back."  
Much as she hated it, Tali had to acknowledge his point. Disgusted, the engineer turned away, a scowl hidden under her purple-tinted faceplate.

_"Life deals us the cards, we just have to play the best hand we can."_ Quoted Ren. "I'll be staying Sarel, Omega or no I'm not going home to failure."  
Tali nodded firmly in agreement, mentally scoffing at the very notion of returning to her birth ship within days of leaving it. "I'm staying too."  
The pilot accepted this, though he seemed no less pleased by the idea. "I'll inform the captain and when I get back to the fleet I'll try to speak to your relatives personally."  
"My thanks, Sarel'Geta." Replied Ren warmly. "Now, what was that about the other survivors?"  
"Nothing good there either," came the despondent answer, "the _Norath_ managed to recover two bodies from space; neither of them made it."  
"At least they'll receive a proper farewell back at the fleet." muttered Ren sadly.

A sudden whooshing noise erupted from the other end of the hangar, drawing the attention of all three quarians. An instantly recognizable quarian engineered military shuttle was making its way into the landing bay, cautiously looking for somewhere to land amidst the destruction. Some of the salvaging crowd fled at the sight, many others merely glanced at the vessel before resuming their work.  
"Looks like my ride is here." Remarked Sarel. "I can't honestly say it's been a pleasure flying with you guys but that's hardly your fault. If we ever do it again, I hope it's under better circumstances."  
Tali shook his outstretched hand warmly, knowing the decision to abandon them on Omega was hardly his fault. She owed the young pilot her life and she told herself she wasn't going to forget it. "Well, crash landings aside, I can at least say it was the most exciting flight of my life." It was a poor joke, but it seemed to lift Sarel's spirits nonetheless.  
Ren and Sarel exchanged a firm handshake of their own, which Ren quickly followed up with a snappy salute. "Excellent piloting Flying Officer, tell my father I said as much when you see him, he'll make sure you're rewarded."  
"It's been an honour Lieutenant." responded Geta, clicking his heels and sketching off a quick salute of his own.  
_His father? Why would his father be in any position to- of course!_ In the chaos of the attack and the subsequent crash landing Ren's clan name had completely slipped Tali by. _Gerrel…that meant his father could only be Han'Gerrel, her father's oldest friend and an admiral in his own right._ She made a mental note to bring up the subject later.

The military shuttle finally located a space to land, its small size allowing it to hover a few feet above the ground at the sides of the hangar. A large door opened vertically on the side of the vessel and two quarian marines stood ready, assault rifles leveled at the crowd. Though no one made a move towards the ship, Tali understood the need for caution. Here in Omega, military grade equipment could sell for a small fortune and it would only take one foolhardy alien looking for a quick chit to spark a firefight. One of the marines gestured toward them and Sarel quickly headed for them. "I'll see you back on the fleet someday, good luck to you both!" he called over his shoulder; behind him, the two pilgrims raised their hands in farewell. Reaching the shuttle, the marines helped hoist the pilot aboard and he disappeared into the hatch, the door quickly sealing shut behind him.

Tali and Ren watched in silence as the ship, the last vestige of their home, rotated and sped towards the atmospheric energy shield. As it burst through, back into the void, Ren turned to Tali. "C'mon, I don't know about you but I've seen enough of this landing bay."  
"I'm just glad to have my feet on something that doesn't feel like it's going to fall out from under me." Tali admitted, falling into step beside him as they marched towards the hangar exit.  
"Can't argue there." Agreed her companion. Then, as an afterthought: "Y'know, we went through all that together and I don't think I ever learned your name."  
"Tali," she supplied, "Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."  
Her words stopped Ren in his tracks, his head swiveling to stare at her. Tali didn't even slow down, leaving the Lieutenant to dash after her once he got over his shock. "Tali'Zorah? As in Tali'Zorah, the daughter of Admiral Rael'Zorah?"  
"That's me." Tali replied casually, stabbing at the 'open' key on the door.  
"Well." Ren chuckled after a moment's pause. "What are the odds of that d'you reckon?"  
"So you _are_ Han'Gerrel's son." Tali stated matter-of-factly as the door slid open with a whoosh beside her.  
"Yes, though to be honest I'm surprised the first time we've met is in these circumstances."  
Tali shrugged, acknowledging his point; though her father had made her attend numerous diplomatic functions throughout her childhood, many of which involved Han'Gerrel, she couldn't recall ever once having seen his son.

They made their way down the dark, dingy corridor as quickly as they could; a stream of alien's carrying salvage parts away from the landing bay intersected with gaggles of others from outside who, despite having nothing to do with the _Tarmeena's_ crash, wanted their grubby hands on as much of the scrap as they could carry. Together the two groups made the quarian's job of getting out much more difficult. More than once Tali found herself pinned behind one of the more intimidating looking beings, trapped between him, Ren and the filthy walls. She was forced to wait until the alien in front of her moved, whilst the ones behind her and Ren hissed and growled and pushed them forward continuously. It was nothing like anything she'd ever experienced on the quarian ships where despite constantly cramped quarters, people were usually happy to make way for one another as best they could; here the attitude was far more along the lines of 'every man for himself'.

After what felt like an eternity of being jostled, pushed and snapped at the two pilgrims finally managed to navigate their way out of the tight confines of the corridor, emerging into a large room that housed a nest of what seemed like hundreds more. Masses of species that she recognized and hordes of those she didn't traveled every which way, creating an indecipherable network of traffic. The taller, more heavily built aliens simply shouldered others out of the way, carving a path through the throngs whilst the smaller, nimbler ones ducked and weaved their way to their destinations.

Orange lights burned above their heads, illuminating ancient display boards that provided directions written in the common trade language used by all space faring species. The symbols contained elements found in many of the languages used by each species and everything from the positioning, thickness and colouration of the lines were designed so as to be easily recognizable to every race's particular photoreceptors. Tali had learnt the language, like every other quarian before Pilgrimage, but her grasp of it was rudimentary at best; fortunately Ren seemed to have a better understanding than her. The Lieutenant had already ducked to one side well out of the way of the ever shifting crowds; his back was firmly against the wall and Tali hastened to join him, slipping in at his side in the breathing space he'd managed to create. He was clearly reading every sign in view, feeding the data into the Omni-tool that enveloped his left forearm.

"Where do we go from here?" Tali asked, almost having to yell above the constant buzz of conversation.  
"I've got information stored on here," he replied, indicating the Omni-tool, "people who help quarians when they're just starting out on their Pilgrimage."  
Tali understood, having similar data herself, though in the chaos she hadn't thought to check it. "There's some in Omega?" she asked incredulously.  
He nodded, leaning into the grated metal wall to avoid a heavily armoured krogan as he stormed past. "Y'see that?" Ren pointed to a small green dot on the Omni-tool, their position on what Tali quickly realised was a map of the local area.  
"That's us right?"  
"Yeah, and this..." he tapped at a blue navigational point on the display, "is where we should be able to find some friends."  
"That's quite a distance."  
"Then I guess we'd better start walking huh? Here, let me upload this to your Omni-tool in case we get separated."  
Tali quickly fired hers up in response, accepting the incoming download within seconds. Bardi's calibrations had beefed up the device astronomically, the whole process taking a fraction of the time it would have with her previous Omni-tool.  
"Got it." She confirmed, activating her own copy of the map before disengaging the gadget.  
"Alright then, we're heading for the third exit in the far corner, Osiris district according to the signs. Stick with me as best you can and if you get lost, try and meet up at the nav point."  
"Right behind you Lieutenant."  
"May as well drop the rank," he called over his shoulder as he started muscling his way through the mob, "it doesn't mean anything out here."

Tali couldn't spare the time to muster a response, instead having to focus all her attention and energies on navigating her way through the masses of people whilst trying to keep an eye on Ren. His height and build might have made him stand out in a quarian crowd but it meant little here where it was easily matched by the gruff, four-eyed batarians and utterly dwarfed by the towering krogans; the only thing working in her favour was the fact that they were the only two quarians nearby. The engineer soon lost track of how long she'd been elbowing her way across the intersection, the pain of her already bruised ribs quickly being reduced to numbness.

Life on the cramped quarian ships may have prepared her for crowds but everything here was different. The attitudes were savagely cruel and there was an open air of hostility that permeated everything it touched. Aliens snarled challenges at each other through jaws bristling with teeth, sweaty hands nervously brushed against side arms and the impoverished cowered against the walls, begging and pleading for mercy and coin that did not exist. The mixed scents of alien sweat, flesh and filth burned in her nostrils, bile rising in the back of her throat. She disabled the suit's olfactory sensors, the stench lingering for a time before being expunged by the sickly-sweet smell of a regulated, sterile atmosphere. Suddenly she was grateful for her detachment from the environment.

More than once Tali almost slipped on the thick coatings of grime that dominated the floor, the orange-brown dirt almost indistinguishable on the rust-coated metal plates that had been haphazardly thrown together. The constant irritations from every possible angle were beginning to grate on her nerves; it didn't help that Ren was somehow, despite his injured leg, managing to move quickly through the organized chaos, she barely had time to catch a glimpse of the back of his helmet before he disappeared down a tunnel marked 'Soka District'. Muttering darkly to herself the young pilgrim put on a burst of speed as she attempted to follow, darting through the hordes of people and forcing herself to ignore their outraged cries.

Finally she made it to the tunnel Gerrel had disappeared down, ducking gratefully into what little shelter it provided. The tunnel was even darker than the corridor they had used to leave the landing bay earlier, prompting Tali to amplify her visor's brightness settings substantially. Fortunately there were fewer aliens here and once she caught her breath, she was able to progress down the passage much faster. What little light there was reflected off the eyes of the various species nearby, giving them all devilish visage. Each was terrifying in their own right: the batarian's four eyes declared sinister intent, the vorcha's red iris' glowed with animalistic desire as they leered at her and the almost reptilian pupils of the krogan stared at her with cold, disciplined fury.

Moving as fast as she dared without running the young woman eventually made it through the gauntlet of catcalls and lustful snarls untouched; she fought the urge to brush down her suit, somehow feeling dirty and violated from their insults. A large, four paneled door awaited her, the soft orange light of the activation switch gently signaling freedom from the oppressive tunnel. She keyed it gladly and the panels split apart, flooding the dark tunnel with artificial light. Tali's eyes reflexively shut at the sudden increase of light, the abrupt change in levels temporarily blinding her. She quickly lowered the brightness of her visor, cursing herself for forgetting to do so beforehand. Blinking heavily to clear her vision once it recalibrated, the quarian machinist stepped cautiously into the world beyond.

The sight that greeted her nearly took her breath away. A huge platform, it was the only word for it, extended out for what seemed like miles before dropping off into the open, empty space of what had to be the centre of the asteroid's spire. Though its sides were lined with dull red towers, outcropping landing pads and countless smaller buildings the very centre of Omega's spine contained nothing but air. There was so much space, utterly unused, unadulterated space that she couldn't begin to fathom its existence. In the migrant fleet such vast room would have been filled within weeks; what was it about these aliens that made them so willing to ignore what her people would have been so grateful to have?

Hundreds of them wandered about the district, so many individuals they far outnumbered the ones in the intersection in terms of sheer variety. Whereas she'd only spotted krogans, vorcha and batarians before she could now pick out humans, turians, asari and even a salarian or two in the groups below. She'd seen them all before of course, in pictures and holo-vids, but like everything in life they were vastly different in person; the krogan were even more monstrous than she'd been led to believe, the salarians more graceful and the asari more exquisite. She found them all enticing and immediately felt a desire to know more about these strange beings, a yearning that she quickly quashed, knowing that Omega was hardly the safest place to start asking people questions.

A waving, red gloved hand in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she moved to join Ren'Gerrel who sat at the base of some steps, rubbing his free hand vigorously against the sprained muscle of his calf. Tali sat on the step beside him and he favoured her with a rueful smile, the expression marked by creases of his eyes and the gentle tipping of his head. "How is it?" she asked, indicating the leg.  
"Not bad, I've had worse. Figured I'd try and work some of the kinks out of it while I waited for you to catch up."  
"I was right behind you the whole time." Tali replied defensively.  
"Can't even keep up with a cripple." Continued Ren as if he'd hadn't heard her.  
"Well perhaps the cripple should try being a foot shorter and a lot less broad, see how far that gets him next time he tries to barge a batarian out of his path."  
Ren laughed, a deep, hearty sound that reminded Tali a lot of his father. "Yes, I suppose that would make things a little more difficult for me wouldn't it?"  
Tali felt the tension in her body ease away at their light hearted banter and allowed herself to relax for the first time since they'd entered Omega's star system.  
"Can you believe this place?" she asked, gesturing to the massive cavern-like city "it's so…"  
"Big?" Ren supplied.  
Tali nodded; there was simply no other word for it.

Incalculable numbers of structures lay between the two pilgrims and the lip of the platform, ramshackle things that were crafted of ancient metals and built one atop the other until they threatened to fall over; from the seemingly random and haphazard designs Tali guessed most of the upper floors had been erected without any kind of permission from the neighbours or the government. _Did Omega even have a government?_ She didn't know, though the tales of unlawfulness that originated from this station prompted her to think not.

Far above their heads the district sheltered under a dome-like ceiling, the roof carved of the near eternal rock and stone of the millennia old asteroid. At first glance, Tali assumed she was on the top level of the station but a second, more detailed look told a different story. Looking closely, the quarian could vaguely see the faint outlines of landing pads protruding into the open air and if she strained hard enough, she could see the blurry forms of airspeeders as they zipped to and fro; she had a feeling that if she stood at the lip of the void, she'd see the exact same thing taking place below her. Omega was built on levels then, each district gouged into shelves of rock one above the other. She didn't know and perhaps didn't want to know, exactly how far around the station's circumference this particular district went; if it enveloped the whole of the station, it'd be nearly the same width as a small moon. The thought of being on something that large after so long trapped on starships sent shivers through her.

Tali felt a sense she'd had since they left the Rayya's docking bay swell and fill her with yet more unease at the sight that lay before them, that same sense of being cast into space without knowing how to space walk. It was exciting and at the same time terrifying, it spurred her on and held her back all in the same moment and frankly, she was getting quite fed up with it. "Come on cripple," she decided, suddenly restless, "we've still got some way to go before we get to the nav point."  
"Aye aye skipper." He replied playfully, though his words brought Tali to a halt-mid step.  
His rank had completely slipped her mind and she viewed him wih a sudden air of unease. _Have I offended him? I'm not military, I don't-I'm not used to this who's who's superior business_.  
Ren read her moment's hesitation correctly. "Relax Tali, rank means nothing remember? Out here I'm just Ren'Gerrel and you're just Tali'Zorah, two lost, in-over-their-heads pilgrims wandering blindly about Omega." To some his words might have seemed depressing but the _way_ Ren said it soothed her nerves, reminded her that she wasn't alone in this mess; she was beginning to understand why he'd made Lieutenant at such an early age.

The two scampered down what few steps remained and began making their way across the plaza, a bustling hive of activity that housed stalls and vendors of every conceivable variety. Evidently it was market day on Omega and hundreds of the district's occupants had risked the constant dangers of the station to get what they needed to scrape by in their miserable lives. Tali felt a heightened sense of awareness as they progressed through the crowds, knowing that the constant ebb and flow of people would make the market a good place for pickpockets to operate in. Every time she felt someone brush up against her she did a subtle check of her possessions, particularly the new weapons she'd been given for her Pilgrimage, prime targets for thieves. The quarian reflected on the irony, normally it was her people who were smeared as being thieves and here she was, a prime target for one; if it wasn't so disconcerting she might have laughed.

Trying to ignore the hawking of the vendors and the near violent bartering of the customers, one pair of humans nearly coming to blows at the price of some unidentifiable meat, Tali turned her attention to her companion.  
"That stinks something bloody awful." He complained, fingering his suit's olfactory settings. "How that passes for food I'll never know, I've smelt synth-tubes better than that."  
"I shut mine off back in the tunnel," Tali revealed, tapping her own sensor, "and after that I'm _not_ putting it back on."  
Ren slid sideways to avoid a salarian. "The funny thing is the tunnel almost smelt better than this."  
Tali glanced around as they walked, noting the poor state of everything she saw. "I sure hope this isn't the best Omega has to offer."  
"That'd probably depend on how high the murder rate is."  
Tali glared at him over the head of a dark skinned human. "Thanks Ren, that's really helping."  
He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, just thinking aloud I guess."  
They lapsed into silence after that until they began to reach the edge of the plaza, the crowd thinning out enough for them to walk side by side unhindered.

"You've been in combat before, right?" Tali asked hesitantly. "Did you ever lose anyone?"  
Ren glanced at her, slightly perturbed at the sudden change in conversation. He appeared to think her question over before finally responding, the lightness in his earlier words gone.  
"I didn't know anyone personally if that's what you're asking, but yes, I've been aware of people dying."  
"Been aware?" Tali questioned his choice of words.  
"I've never…seen anyone die physically," he decided eventually, struggling with his response, "but I have learnt of people dying on other ships, or in different areas of my ship, in the middle of a battle."  
"Like the other pilgrims?" she said quietly, trying to control her voice. Their deaths had been weighing heavily on her mind ever since she'd seen the hole that had been punched through the _Tarmeena's_ hold.  
Ren was silent for a time and eventually nodded. "Yes, but that was probably the closest I've been to death."  
"I lost my mother a few years back," she told him, "but this feels different somehow. I don't know how to explain it."  
"You care about them being gone, but you don't think you're upset enough." Ren stated.  
"Exactly." Tali replied, surprised at his ability to discern the sensation that had been preying on her for so long.  
He nodded in understanding. "I felt the same when some of our crew died a few years back. It was a tragedy, battle or no, and we all mourned them when we heard but I didn't know any of them; they were little more than names to me, figures in passing at best. It leaves you feeling like you should care, especially when the media kicks in." He shook his head. "That's when you get to feeling everyone but you is suffering chronic depression because someone they never knew had died."

"How do you cope with it?" Tali was hesitant to ask anything further but she had to know and Ren didn't seem too reluctant to share.  
"You have to make yourself realize that you're not the only one who feels that way, that most of these aggrieved people probably feel less about it than you do no matter how much they spout off." The officer paused. "There's nothing wrong with caring but don't expect yourself to be completely cut up about every death you come across, that's just unreasonable Tali'Zorah."  
Tali saw the sense in his words and finally nodded acceptance, feeling some of her fears lift from her shoulders. "Thank you Ren."  
"Come on," the Lieutenant said softly, "our destination shouldn't be too far now."

Ren's estimate proved correct, the nav point on the Omni-tool display soon leading them to a rundown, rusted dwelling that stood at the end of an empty alley; both the building and the street looked deserted.  
"Are you sure those coordinates are right?" Tali asked.  
"That's where it's telling me to go." Replied Ren, though not without a trace of hesitance.  
Tali had trouble understand exactly why a quarian would choose to live at the end of what had to be the dirtiest street she'd come across yet but she was tired, sore and hungry enough not to care. The two pilgrims made their way carefully down the street, trying to avoid as many of the filmy puddles as they could before finally reaching the house. Ren's Omni-tool blipped once to acknowledge their arrival, the nav point disappeared and the device echoed the action moments later.

Once the glow from the Omni-tool had retreated a soft darkness settled over the alley, filling Tali with a sense of foreboding. Even the door to the house looked threatening; oversized and seemingly carved from a hunk of scrap metal, the only thing that signified it _was_ a door was the deep notch that had been crudely cut into the metal at about shoulder height, serving, Tali guessed, as a manually operated door handle. The fact that it had been cut so high disturbed her and she noticed that even Ren looked perturbed, though his military discipline was helping him keep his feelings in check. "Well, guess we'd better see if anyone's home." Remarked her companion, stepping up to rap on the metal door; the noise sounded even louder in the stillness of the alley and Ren quickly stepped back down after three sharp knocks. Both he and Tali were unable to resist glancing down the street to see if anyone had noticed.

There was silence from the other side for some time and then, just when Tali was beginning to think they should try again, the door quivered slightly. There was a grunt and it began to open slowly with a faint grind of rusted metal, revealing a monstrous behemoth that stood in the poorly lit room behind, it's features shrouded in shadow. Tali and Ren stood frozen at the sight of it, unwilling to believe their eyes; then the mountain spoke.

"Who the hell are you two?"

**Chapter End Notes:  
**I hit a wall a few times with this chapter for unknown reasons, despite the fact almost all of it was my cup of tea (description); at least it isn't quite as long as some of the other chapters. Anyway enjoy, comment and I'll see you this time next week!


	6. Chapter 6: New Friends

**Chapter 6 – New Friends**

Tali looked to Ren, Ren looked to Tali and they both looked back to the owner of the voice.  
"Well?" it demanded, the sound seeming to echo off the walls.  
"We're pilgrims, from the Migrant Fleet," Tali managed eventually, "we...we were supposed to be able to find help here."  
"Pilgrims?" the monster bellowed, "Pilgrims on Omega? Pah, you're just here to thieve what you can from me, that's what you're after."  
The beast stepped aside and a massive, three fingered paw gestured to the dimly lit interior of the house.  
"Well come on, come in and help yourselves. It's not like I've got anything worth stealing."  
Tali glanced at Ren incredulously. _Does he seriously want us to go in? _Despairing, she tried again. "We're not thieves, we really are Pilgrims. We crash landed here a few hours ago; we we're just looking for somewhere to get our bearings."  
Ren glanced at her pointedly and Tali quickly silenced herself. _Have I said too much?  
_"That so?" The titan mused. "Well, I guess I have enough room for a couple of skinny guests like yourselves. C'mon in." So saying it stepped aside and retreated into its lair, leaving the two quarians standing conspicuously on what passed for the doorstep.  
Tali looked to Ren and raised her chin slightly in question. The soldier responded with a shrug and a shake of his head. "We choice do we have?" he whispered and stepped over the threshold, following the figure into what appeared to be a rudimentary dining room ringed by storage cupboards.

"What's your name pilgrims? Speak up."  
"I'm Tali'Zorah nar Rayya and this," Tali gestured to her taller friend, "is Ren'Gerrel nar Neema."  
"Then welcome, Tali'Zorah and Ren'Gerrel, to the house of Krovak Torr." Declared the beast, spreading its arms wide theatrically and rotating to face them. Tali got her first look at it in the light, the tanned yellow of its jaw skin complementing the olive crest that dominated the upper portion of its face. "It's not much to look at but then, neither is Krovak Torr."  
"You're a krogan." Ren stated flatly, having trouble believing his eyes. They'd been briefed on krogans only days ago and their bio had listed them as standing between 7-8' on average. This particular krogan stood defiant at a solid 10'.  
"Observant of you," the krogan chuckled, "but I'm not just a krogan; I'm the rarest kind of krogan there is."  
"A tall krogan?" Tali questioned.  
The monster, Torr, laughed heartily. "There's plenty of tall krogans Tali'Zorah, but there ain't many old ones."  
Tali looked closer. She was hardly experienced enough with krogans, or any non-quarians for that matter, to be able to tell the faint differences between them at first glance but quarians were masters at reading the subtle signals of body language. She quickly noticed Torr's golden eyes were ringed with thick, dark wrinkles, his teeth blackened and worn and his movements were slow, ponderous. _The signs were there,_ she realised, _though there's probably a lot more that only a krogan could pick up on._

"Look," said Ren finally, standing with his arms crossed a few feet from the open door, "I'm not trying to be rude but it seems awfully strange that a krogan would be on our contact list, even more so when he's on Omega."  
Torr shook his wide head at the uptight young officer. "By the threshers son, will you relax already? You look stiffer than a damn corpse." The krogan gestured to the battered metal table that occupied the centre of the room. "Look, why don'tcha take a seat and old Krovak Torr'll tell you a little story?"  
Ren didn't look too inclined to accept the offer, in fact he looked liable to bolt out of the door at the vaguest sign of trouble, but Tali was tired, sick of being in danger and wanted nothing more than to sit down, regardless of any threats posed by this krogan. She seated herself at the table and looked pointedly at Ren who shot her a look of his own before edging his way toward the table reluctantly.

"Now about seven years ago," began Torr, busily shutting the heavy metal door, "I was working my trade as chief mechanic in one of the Omega's grubbier chop shops."  
"Chop shops?" Tali asked.  
"Airspeeder maintenance garages, they call 'em chop shops 'cause that's what we do to 'em half the time when they bring them in. Anyways, we had a couple of punks come in, batarian racer gang, snot nosed things that thought they were the big boys in the district." Torr shook his head at some private memory. "They brought in a speeder for a drive replacement and recalibration, tricked out custom job it was; not a bad ride, but I could have done better. I assigned it to one of my crew, a quarian. Can't remember her name too well...what was it now? Rikka?" the krogan mused, "yes, Rikka'Nall I think."  
"What was she like?"  
"Oh she was a quiet one, I remember that. Pretty new to the shop but she had a talent for the electronic side of the work, could have recalibrated a starship while standing on her head. I told 'em we'd have it done in a week; she'd finished it in three days and the way she went about it I should have charged 'em for a full servicing."  
The krogan sighed moved towards the counter, letting his words trail off.  
"What happened?" Prompted Ren finally, who'd at last taken a seat.  
"Well, they came in to collect it on time and tried it out before they left. For some reason, the speeder didn't start. They weren't happy and I had to run a quick diagnostic before they started tearing the place apart. Turned out the replacement drive was faulty, one of my suppliers had slipped me crappy parts."  
"They didn't care that it wasn't your fault, did they?" Tali guessed.  
Torr shook his head. "Nope. I offered 'em a refund and another replacement as soon as fresh parts came in but they wouldn't hear of it. They wanted to know who'd been working on it, who screwed up their ride. I wasn't going to give them a damn thing but then this quarian steps up and quietly announces it was her."

"I thought you said she was the tech." said Ren dubiously. "Why would she have been replacing the physical parts?"  
"Oh she was, it was one of my other boys who actually installed the part. He was at the other end of the shop though and for some reason this little quarian decided to offer herself up to these punks." Torr's golden eyes closed, the old man clearly visualizing the scene again in his grotty shop.  
"There was a propane tank right by where they were standing. She swung up her little pistol, fired one round and took out half the gang when that thing exploded. The rest of 'em didn't even have time to recover from the explosion before she hit them with that Omni-tool of hers." Torr smiled fondly. "Somehow she got the right frequency to get their weapons to explode in their hands. I still remember them screaming while their flesh burned to cinders and the shrapnel tore into their faces; she did one hell of a job."  
Tali glanced at Ren who shrugged. They had been told krogan were fond of violence but hearing Torr talk like this was no less disconcerting.  
"She saved my livelihood that day, all for the price of a propane tank. Taking on those bloodthirsty varren like that took some real guts, kid had a bigger quad than most krogans I've met."  
_Quad?_ Tali looked questioningly to Ren who shrugged, equally puzzled by the strange terminology.

"Anyway we cleaned things up after that, I had a nice long talk with my suppliers and the quarian went right back to work like nothing had happened. Maybe it was her way of coping," Torr shrugged his immense shoulders, "but what do I know? Few weeks later she came in one morning and told me she'd booked passage off Omega, mentioned trying to find something useful for the fleet on the Citadel. Damned if I know how she managed to afford it, I sure wasn't paying her enough; hell, I couldn't even afford it myself. Couldn't give her anythin' to help out either but I said I owed her and her folks one if she ever felt like collecting." The giant chuckled ruefully. "Imagine my surprise about a year later when a young kid, 'bout your age, turns up on my doorstep in one of them environmental suits of yours and starts rambling on about how somebody back on the fleet said he was supposed to find help here."  
"She put you down as a contact." Ren realised.  
Torr nodded. "That's what we figured, once I could calm him down long enough to take a look at his Omni-tool."  
The krogan lowered himself into a worn chair, groaning with the bend of his thick knees.  
"Going on seven years ago now and you're only the third, and fourth," he decided as an afterthought, "quarians that have come to my door."  
"Omega's not really a popular destination for us." Tali told him.  
"Really? Why's that then? I find it invigorating myself, very character building." Torr spoke with such seriousness that Tali very nearly took him at his word, but the twinkle in his eye soon gave him away.  
"Oh we don't mind it that much," she responded, not missing a beat, "it's just the lack of excitement that kills it."  
Torr laughed so much both quarians thought he was going to explode. "Oh that's a good one that is!" he declared finally once he'd recovered. Tali grinned at him under her purple visor and even Ren seemed to be smiling.

Eventually Torr calmed himself enough to heave his muscular frame out of his seat, stretching slightly to loosen the joints of his back. "Well," he drawled, looking them both over, "it's getting late and there's not a whole lot to do at this time except go out and get murdered or stay inside and sleep. Now I've never had two of you at once and I'm not exactly swimming in space here in this shack so the little missy'll have to take the spare room and you're gonna have to bunk with me." He pointed his fleshy finger at Ren.  
The pilgrim looked so tense from the sheer horror of the idea Tali thought his visor was going to crack.  
Abruptly Torr exploded into laughter again, meaty gruffaws that seemed to shake the floor and reverberate off the metal panelling of the walls. "Are all you quarians so gullible?" he managed between breaths, "or is it just you kids?"  
"Probably just us kids," Tali replied, finding herself smiling again at the gentle giant's amusement, "we don't really know a whole lot about other species'. "  
"They don't educate you before you go?"  
"Well, they teach us what they can sure, but you can't really teach someone a personality."  
"Ha! Smarts words for one your age. I like that." Torr grinned, his massive jaw widening and exposing large, blackened teeth. "C'mon kid," he jerked his head at Tali and ponderously began heading out of the room, "let me show you your room." Tali hopped up to follow him, wincing as he called back over his shoulder. "There's a couch in the room opposite Stiff, make yourself at home!"  
"Great, a krogan with a sense of humour." Grumbled Ren from the dining room they'd shared, his voice just barely audible to Tali. "I sure can pick 'em."

* * *

Tali awoke the next morning, feeling a strange mix of sore and refreshed. The thin mattress and metal bunk Torr had provided was almost on par with those of the flotilla and she'd been able to sleep pretty soundly, tired enough to convince herself she was on the fleet after all. It was as she sat up however that her ribs reminded her they were bruised, bringing the memories of the previous day flooding back. The pilgrim lay back on the bed with a heavy sigh, images of the nameless others she'd shared the _Tarmeena_ with filtering through her sleep-addled brain. She hadn't even had time to learn their names, instead she could define them only by their actions. _The jittery one, the fearful girl, the steady male._ She squeezed her eyes tight. _The young couple; where would they be now?_ She shook her head softly, feeling the back of her veil brush gently against the flat pillows. _Why? Why can't I feel anything?_ It wasn't strictly true. She felt anguish at their loss, sorrow at the fact that they'd been murdered even before reaching adulthood but it was all buried under a layer of guilt; guilt that she'd survived, guilt that she been too exhausted to even shed a tear over them.

She thought she wanted to cry, some part of her certainly did, but she wondered if it would be motivated more by her guilt than her sorrow. As she deliberated Ren's words from the day before came back to her.  
"There's nothing wrong with caring but don't expect yourself to be completely cut up about every death you come across, that's just unreasonable Tali'Zorah."  
Tali sat up, cautiously swinging her legs off the lip of the bed.  
Perhaps the Lieutenant was right; perhaps she was being unreasonable with herself.  
_I'll mourn them in my own way._ She decided eventually. _I'll go on living, make everything I can of the life I was given.  
_It wasn't much and it felt trivial, but it was the best she could offer them.

The engineer examined the room's layout for the first time, disorientated by the strange placement of the furniture. Back on the fleet she'd been used to a single bunk and a small dresser shared between herself and Naria. It had contained the few items they had both needed or wanted to keep and in the tiny 6'x6' room the two occupied it seemed to dominate the space. Here the space seemed huge, regardless of Torr's claims of it being 'pokey'. The bed rested against the wall, tucked into the corner. Two tall chests were arrayed under a grimy window, each easily half as high and twice as deep as the quarian. A wardrobe taller than Torr ate the space at the base of the bed and she could only guess what was hidden inside it. The soft scraping of her boots against the cheap aluminium floor as she moved for the door made her instantly grateful that she didn't have to step on it with bare feet.

Tali exited the room and made her way down the crude stairs, trying to minimize any clangs as her two-toed feet met rusted metal. She had no idea if Ren or the krogan were still sleeping and something told her neither would enjoy being roused at this hour. Upon reaching the bottom of the overly wide staircase, likely to accommodate Torr's large frame, Tali realised she didn't know where to go. She'd been so tired the previous night she'd barely been paying attention when Torr showed her to her room. Faced with the option of taking the doorway to her right or the arch to her left, she opted for the arch. Poking her head into the room the machinist quickly spotted Ren slumbering awkwardly in a mass of blankets on the floor, an unused couch lying beside him. Tali bit her lip to keep from giggling at his haphazard posture as she retreated from the room, deciding to try the door opposite. Manually operated doors weren't exactly prevalent in the rest of the galaxy but plenty of the older quarian ships, the _Rayya_ in particular, had its own spread throughout the ship. Fortunately, like the door to the bedroom, this one was nothing like the front door to the house and Tali pulled the thin, lightweight metal open easily.

She found herself in the room they'd been talking in last night, though it seemed more brightly lit now which served only to make it even less appealing. Torr was there, sitting opposite her and hunched over at the table, a half-eaten dish of thoroughly unappetizing meat laying before him. He wiped some of the stray juices from his mouth as she entered and quickly swallowed the morsels in his mouth. "Morning my young houseguest, I trust my humble abode wasn't as comfortable as things back home?"  
Tali hesitated, not wanting to offend him. "The room was very…large." She decided eventually.  
Torr chuckled. "Good diplomatic answer, they train you in that or does it just come naturally?"  
Tali thought about it. "My father's an admiral in the fleet," she ventured finally, "I guess that might have had something to do with it."  
Torr's face darkened slightly. "I'd be careful who you say that to Tali'Zorah, out here in the galaxy there's a lot of people who'd be very interested in knowing that and not for any good reasons."  
Tali nodded, both acknowledging the truth in his words and criticizing herself for not guarding her tongue better.  
"Well," remarked the krogan, deftly changing the subject, "I wouldn't worry about minding old Torr's feelings if I were you, us krogans have tough hides for a reason. Besides, between all our duplicate organs there ain't a whole lotta room in here for emotions." The old mechanic patted his giant frame for emphasis.

He gestured to a chair beside him and Tali slipped into it gratefully, the smell of his meal through her re-enabled olfactory systems sparking a pang of hunger. As Torr busied himself with his food once more she withdrew a small synth tube from one of her suit's many hidden pockets. Torr watched with mild interest as she inserted the end of the tube into the processor on her helmet, located just above her chin, and slowly began digesting the contents.  
"Ah yeah, the tubes. I'd forgotten about those."  
Tali was silent as she quickly finished the tasteless nutritional meal, the packet slowly crumpling as the contents were sucked out. Eventually the synth tube emptied and she pulled the empty casing from her face, scrunching up the flexible material in her hand.  
"We always complain about how much of a nuisance it is and I imagine it makes us look pretty dumb sometimes but it's all I've known," she shrugged awkwardly, "it doesn't get to me as much as some of the others."  
"Don't make excuses for doing what you have to do to survive Tali'Zorah, we've all done stuff we don't like to get by."  
She smiled lightly. "Thank you Torr, and Tali is just fine."  
The krogan's face split open into a warm smile of his own. "Then Tali it is."

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Ren'Gerrel who staggered into the room and plopped himself down in a vacant chair.  
"What's wrong Stiff, you don't like my couch?" Torr growled without a trace of malice.  
"I'm more used to sleeping on hard surfaces," replied Ren, unfazed, "comes with military beds; couch was too soft for me to get any sleep."  
Torr nodded knowingly. "A man sticks with what he knows. You hungry, or have you gotta stick with those tube-things too?"  
"Mush diet for me too," Ren yawned, "though it's _so_ appetizing I think I'll give it a miss."  
"I'd have thought Lieutenants would have an easier time than most coming around after sleep." Tali teased.  
"Contrary to popular belief, just 'cause you're in the military doesn't mean you're a morning person too." Ren smiled faintly under his visor. "And to be honest, I didn't exactly go to sleep right away either."  
"What were you doing all night?" asked Tali, having no idea how, much less why, he'd managed to stop himself from falling asleep as soon as he was alone.  
Ren shot a not-so-discreet glance at Torr who saw the look, understood the meaning and completely refused to budge. "You got something to say then say it; Krovak Torr knows how to keep his mouth closed."  
Gerrel didn't seem happy with the response and hesitated for some time, clearly debating heavily with himself. Finally he sighed in quiet disgust and spoke. "I was going over the logs from the _Tarmeena_, searching what little footage we had, trying to work out how exactly we'd gotten hit." He paused. "Do either of you know anything about a cruiser's GARDIAN systems?"  
"A little, Sarel and I talked about it a bit before the pirates showed up."  
"I'm almost a thousand years old Stiff," chimed in Torr, "you'd better hope I know something about GARDIAN systems."  
Ren nodded. "We got ambushed by nine fighters; I ran their profiles through my Omni-tools's military database when I went back over the footage. They were two man ships, batarian make, decent spec, but they couldn't have been carrying anything that would've scratched the _Norath_."  
"Are you saying they deliberately targeted the _Norath_, knowing they would be destroyed?" Tali couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"No," replied Ren, "they didn't target the _Norath_. They were going for the _Tarmeena_."

"You're insane." Declared Tali, both angry and confused though she couldn't say exactly why._ It didn't make any sense at all.  
_"Missiles do not miss, they either destroy something or something destroys them. The only possible explanation is that one of those ships was aiming for us."  
"But why?" demanded the machinist. "Why would they fire at an unarmed transport, knowing they'd be destroyed for it?"  
"I don't know," Ren admitted, "but it gets better. Or worse, I suppose. Watch this, it's a recording from the _Tarmeena's_ scope just a few seconds before the impact." He held his arm flat on the table as his Omni-tool flickered to life, a 3-Dimensional model of the incident hovering above a flat grid.

Tali and Torr leaned in to watch as the batarian fighters, represented by red 3-D triangles, appeared on the edge of the plane, streaking toward the blue quarian convoy ships. For a moment the fighters progressed unhindered but as they closed the distance each of the small blue triangles banked, climbed or dropped into a clustered formation, putting the far larger blue triangle that had to represent the _Norath_ between them and the attackers. Tiny pinpricks of light erupted from the fighter icons and barrelled towards the _Norath_ where, a few dozen kilometres out, beams of light superheated the missiles and obliterated them long before they could do any damage. Tali stared in confusion as the _Norath_ turned its guns on the attacking fighters, trying to spot the elusive missile that had managed to penetrate the defences and hole the _Tarmeena_. It wasn't there. She scanned the grid again and again and it refused to show, there was absolutely no ordnance from the pirates left on the field. Her gaze was broken by a soft flash as the final two fighters were erased from the grid, their red arrows winking out. Immediately her eyes flickered to the gaggle of ships that hovered around the _Norath_, wondering which one had been the _Tarmeena_. Her question was answered a moment later when one of the blue triangles suddenly pulsed white and the rest of the transports scattered.

Tali shook her head to clear the all too vivid memories of that moment.  
"Did you see it?" Ren asked, pausing the recording.  
She nodded sombrely, eyes fixed on the frozen display.  
"There was nothing there." Said the soldier earnestly. "No missiles, no torpedoes… hell there wasn't even an asteroid."  
"How?" Demanded Tali, pushing herself away from the surface of the table. "How is it even possible for them to have done that?  
Ren'Gerrel turned up his free hand. "I don't know Tali, I wish I did. Nothing they fired got past the GARDIAN systems on the _Norath_, you saw that. And yet we still got hit by _something_." The Lieutenant disengaged the Omni-tool and withdrew his arm from the table. "I knew things were wrong the minute we got hit but I didn't have time to find out what had happened until after we crashed." He scowled at the tabletop. "I thought the recordings might explain things, not just make it more confusing."  
Torr, who had been silent up to now, leant back against the wall, arms folded across his brawny chest. "I might know someone who could help you there Stiff, an old friend of mine lives a few levels down in the Jiali district."  
"Why would he be able to help us?"  
"Because there's nobody I know on Omega who knows more about weapons than him. If you want to find out what hit you, he's your man."  
Ren thought it over for a moment and finally nodded. "Well alright then, what are we waiting for?"


	7. Chapter 7: And Old Ones

**Chapter 7 – And Old Ones  
**Travel to the Jiali district took up most of the morning with Torr leading the way as they moved from corridors and tunnels to open plazas and excruciatingly slow lifts. Fortunately the lifts were fairly empty once they entered as few of Omega's citizens wanted to be trapped in a small space with a krogan, particularly one as large as this. As they ventured further into the heart of the station Tali decided she couldn't keep quiet any longer, she wasn't used to going this long without some form of conversation; back on the Migrant Fleet silence between shipmates was almost unheard of. Deciding to ask the question that had been on her mind all morning, she spoke to Torr.

"Torr, why are you helping us? I know you owed this Rikka'Nall a favour but giving us a place to stay is more than enough to repay that."  
The krogan shrugged as he ambled along, causing a nearby vorcha to flinch as the powerfully built arms barely missed him. "You're my house guests, a good host takes a measure of responsibility for his visitors."  
"That doesn't sound like any normal krogan philosophy." Remarked Ren.  
"Oh that's true enough," came the reply as their guide paused to figure out which turn to take at a junction, "most krogans would sooner kill any guests before the notion to look after them enters their heads. But as I think I mentioned last night, I'm no ordinary krogan."

Further conversation was cut as the group rounded a corner and was greeted by what appeared to be a full on melee in the next street. Hordes of vorcha snarled, clawed and bit at pockets of turians and humans bedecked in blue and white armour, mercenaries as far as Tali could tell. It looked like the mercs had been caught off guard, many of them fighting off the rabid aliens with their fists and claws while weapons clung unused to their bodies. The chaos was broken by a distinct thump of a shotgun discharge and Tali flinched reflexively, watching as one of the vorcha was sent flying backwards from the force of the blast, a gaping, bloody hole where his chest had been. The entire street, even the two warring factions, turned to locate the source of the blast.

A lone turian, shotgun still smoking, bellowed an order to the rest of the mercenaries and punctuated it by discharging his weapon into another of the attackers. Using the shock of the moment to their advantage, many of the mercs managed to create a breathing space between themselves and the vorcha, giving them enough time to clear their weapons. As pockets of automatic fire cut several of their kindred down in red swathes the unarmed vorcha horde quickly decided that retreat was the better option. They fled, leaving scattered corpses of mutilated mercs behind as they raced down the street and disappeared into alleyways while rifle fire tore into the stragglers. The crazed few that remained behind fought savagely, claws dug deep into their victims even as mass propelled slugs tore into their flesh.

Though the incident was given a wide berth, many of Omega's citizens still hovered nearby, waiting to resume their journey or taking an alternate route with scarcely a backward glance at the carnage. Tali felt sick to her stomach. _This is what Omega is like? This kind of barbarism is so commonplace that it doesn't even deserve a second thought?_ Sarel'Geta and his tales of the station had been wrong, the criminal hive was far worse than he had ever described.  
"Better get used to it." Said Torr as if he'd read her thoughts. "Skirmishes that big don't happen often but they aren't unusual either."  
Ren, who had been quiet up until now, voiced a question of his own. "And the bigger ones?"  
Their guide snorted. "Anything bigger and you wouldn't have seen anyone nearby who didn't have a weapon and the smart ones wouldn't be around at all, weapons or no."  
"That include you?"  
Torr glanced at him with a grim half-smile. "One thing about us krogans, we aren't smart," his gravelly voice took on a more wistful tone, "not smart at all…"  
The gunfire slowly faded away behind them, the noise covered by the vibrant chatter of conversation mixed with swooshing of aircars as they flew overhead and the gentle hum of elevators that pinged and bleeped at them as they passed their open doors.

"Y'know, if this place wasn't so dangerous I might actually start to like it. All these people...it's kinda like home."  
Ren nodded agreement. "I'd been thinking that too."  
"That's right, your kind like this stuff don't you?" asked Torr, "all the crowds and people?"  
The two quarians nodded as one. "We don't have a lot of spare room back on the flotilla so it's always a bit tight, you'd probably find it a bit…" Tali paused, unsure how to phrase her sentence without offending the krogan.  
"Claustrophobic?" he supplied.  
"I, I guess that's about right." She replied, ducking her head slightly, embarrassed.  
"Relax, thick skin, remember?" Torr winked one of his oversized eyes at her.  
The trio ducked to one side to avoid the bulky frame of an elcor as it crossed ponderously in front of them.  
"How do you put up with that, being around people every minute? Old Krovak Torr would go crazy if he didn't get a minute to himself now and again."  
Ren jumped in, sounding happier now that he was discussing life back home. Tali wondered if he was starting to feel the same pangs of homesickness as her.  
"Well silence and privacy are almost always out of the question," he said, his words accompanied by various dips of his head or waves of his hands, "and because we grow up with it, we kinda get used to all the noise."  
"As a result we've ended up as a pretty sociable people." Tali chimed in. "In fact the whole fleet is kind of one big family."  
"Hmm…if that's what you like about Omega I think you'd find the Wards to be right up your alley."  
"The Wards?"  
"Yeah, they're a part of the Citadel, always bustling with activity; lots of action, no end of things to do and always a C-Sec officer two feet away. Only been there a few times myself back in the day, too much legislation there for me." He chuckled to himself. "Krogans aren't exactly popular there, you wrap us up in too much red tape, pretty soon we start getting' real itchy."  
"That sounds fun; it'd be nice to experience it one day."  
"Well Tali, you're on Pilgrimage ain't you? Make it happen."  
Tali smiled under her faceplate. "Maybe I will."

Time passed and eventually they crossed into the Jiali district, an area that looked surprisingly well kept compared to Torr's district. "So things don't get worse as we go down?" Tali mused.  
Torr looked at her. "What's that?"  
"Oh, I was just-I mean, I thought Omega might be built on a kind of caste system. Y'know, with the better off higher up?" stammered Tali, embarrassed at being caught talking to herself.  
"Reasonable guess," the old alien conceded, "but no. Omega's…ruler as far as we're concerned, is smart enough to know the best way to run a business is to be involved and the best way to do that is to be right in the middle of the action, not tucked away on some upper level."  
"So he's on one of the middle levels?" Ren guessed.  
Torr nodded sagely. "Well _she_ is, sure, operates out of a club called Afterlife a few more levels down. Things look a little better there than they do on the rest of this rock, but don't expect that much of a change if you ever go there for a visit. What you see here and back in Soka, is the real heart of Omega. Pure and simple."  
Neither quarian understood what he was referring to but they let it slide, reluctant to press their guide further.

The Jiali district was the same grungy shade of orange brown walls and dark, crusted metal that had plagued Torr's home level of Soka, the two very alike as far as layout was concerned. The differences were in the people. Soka, busy as it had been the previous day due to the overabundance of market stalls, had today gone back to its normal quiet according to Torr, the stalls either gone entirely or tucked away inconspicuously. Jiali on the other hand was bursting with them, the flimsy, ancient metals of the portable structures lining every street the three companions crossed. Their owners hovered around them like overprotective parents with wayward children; they were bold individuals who didn't hesitate to throw their wares under the noses of passers-by if they so much as smelt a possible sale, luckily for the two quarians, few of them wanted to risk interrupting the krogan that accompanied them. Fortunately there were plenty of other targets; veritable armies of people covered the streets like a swarm of insects in a hive of frenzied activity, so many in number that moving through the district became slow progress.

"And I thought it was busy in Soka." Remarked Byar dryly, prompting an appreciative huff from Torr and a soft giggle from Tali.  
"A few less people and this could be Soka!" she cried back over the buzz of conversation.  
"A few less people and this could be anywhere on the station." Interrupted Torr. "It's all the same, nothing changes."  
The engineer glanced at him, unsure of what he meant.  
"You don't see it do you?" he realised soberly, noticing her look. "You don't see what I see everywhere on this damned rock."  
Tali looked closer at the scenes around them, trying to spot what it was that Torr was really getting at. It took her a few moments, but a sudden scrabble of movement drew her eye. Behind the plethora of stalls, hidden in the shadows of ramshackle buildings were dozens of filthy creatures that cowered and shied from the vicious boots of passing aliens. Their grubby, dirt stained faces hid dark eyes that seemed hauntingly empty, each reflecting a horrible, lifeless void. Some clung to each other, staring blankly at Tali as she stared back while others fought and clawed and bit over what looked like filthy, shriveled scraps of food. They were more animals than people, trapped in an existence that was more dead than alive.

Tali felt bile rise in her throat, felt her stomach churn when she realised that under the thick layers of dirt and grime, some were little more than children, malnourished and subdued, hollow and silent like no child she'd ever known. The young quarian felt her eyes grown moist and she had to focus on keeping her mouth closed to keep from coughing up her breakfast that morning. To her left, Ren shook his head at the scenes, disgust evident in the slouch of his wide shoulders. Torr kept his eyes fixed ahead as he walked, refusing to examine what he already knew so well.

"It's the same in Soka, the same in any other district, the same all over this wretched station." For the first time, his voice contained a dark anger and a dangerous glint shone in the krogan's eyes. Tali felt an involuntary chill run up her spine. "_That_," Torr continued in low tones, "is the true heart of Omega. Sickness, Famine, War and Death; a regular apocalypse right under our feet."  
She finally trusted herself to speak again, albeit it barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?"  
He shook his head slowly, noncommittal. "It doesn't matter."  
"I thought krogans saw stuff like this all the time." Ventured Ren slowly.  
"What's your point?"  
Torr didn't seem pleased by the question and Ren suddenly seemed to sense he'd stepped on thin ice. "Well I-I didn't expect it to get to you so much."  
Torr's monstrous head lowered slightly. "How often you see a thing never makes it right."  
"It's sickening." Whispered Tali, struggling to understand how anyone could live like this, how anyone could even _watch_ someone live like this.  
Torr glanced at her. "It is." He agreed. "Krogan philosophy says we should put them out of their misery. Everyone else's seems to be to let them find their own way out."  
"That's horrible."  
"Is it?" Torr's right eye seemed to stare right through her visor. "A question for you then Tali; which is the cruller option?"  
She couldn't reply.

Distance from the scenes seemed to bring a measure of calm over Torr and his sour mood seemed to slowly be lifting with every step they took. Finally, as it began to near midday on the vast space station, he brought them to a stop in a bustling plaza full of merchant stores.  
"Now lemme get my bearings, it's been a while since old Avo Nid and I saw each other."  
Tali and Ren glanced about them, more out of curiosity than any attempt to spot Torr's contact. As far as they knew he could quite easily have been any one of the dozens of aliens that stood around the plaza, keeping a watchful eye over their wares. Eventually Torr spotted what he was looking for.  
"There, _A.N. Imports & Exports_." He indicated the faded lettering above one of the many nondescript shops that surrounded the area. "Give me a few minutes would ya?" Without waiting for a response the old krogan trudged off, cleaving a path to his target through the mass of vendors and clients.

Ren watched him go in silence, his crossed arms giving a clear interpretation of his thoughts.  
"You don't trust him, do you?" Tali's tone wasn't so much a rebuke as it was curiosity.  
"You know as well as I do what reputations krogan have, they're not what I'd call trustworthy to begin with. I wouldn't trust a regular krogan to clean his own plate and this particular one is just plain...weird."  
"I know he's a little...odd, but there's something about him, I really don't think he's got any intent to harm us Ren."  
"Well I hope your intuition is correct Tali, but you'll forgive me for being wary."  
"You really are a lot like your father you know?"  
Ren turned to face her, eyes glowing faintly beneath the dark red glass of his visor. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"  
"Doesn't trust anyone without a military commission, not too fond of aliens either; cagey too," replied Tali unflinchingly, "and somehow reckless at the same time.""  
Ren made a noise that could have been an amused grunt. "And you're a lot like yours."  
"And that means?"  
"Stubborn, outspoken and as my dad often said about Rael'Zorah, you've got damn good intuition."  
Unseen under her faceplate, Tali smirked.

Eventually Torr reappeared in the doorway, gesturing to the pair with one of his thick arms. The two quarians quickly crossed over to him and entered the shop, their arrival greeted by the steely glare of an armed turian standing guard inside. Ren bristled under his gaze, visibly straightening and Tali found herself doing likewise, feeling bolder than usual with a 10 foot krogan behind her. The turian soon backed down once Torr placed himself at the head of the group again, leading his charges through a surprisingly bare shop interior, past a worn counter and up a foreboding staircase. A faded brown door glowed faintly at them before sliding open, the pilgrims struggling to keep up with Torr's purposeful strides. All signs of age in the krogan were gone, the old joints and ponderous gait replaced by single-minded intent, the warrior's powerful frame radiating ancient, unfaltering strength.

They passed through the door and at the other end of the room a pair of armed guards stood, one a disciplined turian, his face adorned with traditional colony markings and the other a heavyset human male who looked very nervous about the massive krogan that had just entered the room. In front of the pair stood a squat, chubby little figure in a brown pressure suit, staring up at the giant that was Krovak Torr through tiny photoreceptors that glowed a dim yellow.

"_That's_ Avo Nid?" Ren whispered to Tali, barely able to keep the bemusement from his tone.  
"This station's just full of surprises." She replied straight-faced.  
"It's been a long time Krovak Torr -Krrsh-," said the volus, the small alien looking even punier next to the weathered krogan, "what brings you to see me after so many years?"  
Torr bent and held out a hand leaving the volus, evidently worried about appearing unpolite, forced into taking it. Torr's oversized fingers wrapped around the tiny volus' own easily, so much so that Tali didn't doubt he could have broken the smaller being's bones with scarcely a second thought. From the way he gingerly withdrew his hand, it looked like Avo Nid knew that too.  
"It _has_ been a long time Nid, how's business?" Torr's voice was perfectly pleasant, as if the two had bumped into each other due to happy coincidence. Tali decided it was somehow more unnerving than if the krogan had been shouting.  
"Uh, good, good. -Krrsh- The usual _Ka'vaken_ who can't remember to pay their -Krrsh- dues without a little prompting but I can't complain too much. -Krrsh- Omega is Omega after all."  
Torr nodded sympathetically. "Listen, I came to ask you a favour for old times' sake. My friends here got attacked by pirates on their way here."  
"Unfortunate, -Krrsh- but not unexpected. What does it have to do with me Torr? If these two are after revenge I'm an arms dealer -Krrsh-, not an information broker."  
"When was the last time you saw a pirate try and blow an unarmed transport to oblivion rather than take its cargo and crew hostage? Last I heard quarians still fetch a good price on the slave market."

Tali fought to keep herself from snapping a look to Ren. _Slave markets? They're selling my people on the slave markets?  
_Avo shuffled from one foot to the other agitatedly. "There are some pretty stupid pirates out there."  
"Stupid pirates armed with missiles that are undetectable on Cruiser-grade military scanners, quarian ones at that? You know how efficient they are at getting the best out of their kit."  
Nid didn't respond.  
"C'mon Avo, what were they packin'?"  
The small creature looked about the room, finally gesturing to his two bodyguards. "Leave us."  
The human complied without a second thought, though the turian looked significantly more upset with the arrangement.  
"Stealth missiles," the merchant confided finally once the door had sealed behind them, "Lodnil Arms TX-12s most likely."  
"Never heard of 'em." Replied Torr.  
"Not many have, -Krrsh- salarian designed, there's very few of them out there."  
"How do they work?" Asked Tali, unable to help her curiosity.

Avo shot her a glance, as if acknowledging she was there for the first time. "Heat absorbent plating." He said simply. "Salarians had it all over the missile -Krrsh-, hides any emissions from showing up on scanners, effectively renders them invisible. -Krrsh- It's still there visually of course, you might be able to look out a window and see it, -Krrsh- but if you ever did you'd likely be dead before you could do anything about it."  
The little volus paused for breath.  
"The salarians produced a few prototypes -Krrsh- and soon found out that because of all that extra plating, the missiles were incredibly slow -Krrsh- and lacked any real stopping power, not to mention the cost of production. -Krrsh- A basic military starship shield could survive numerous hits from these projectiles where ordinary missiles would do twice the damage -Krrsh- for a fraction of the cost. They scrapped the whole project soon after -Krrsh- and the rest of the prototypes ended up on the black market a few years later. -Krrsh- That's probably why you're still alive, any other missile would likely have vaporized an unshielded transporter on impact."

Both quarians had to let that sink in.  
"They sound expensive." Cut in Torr.  
"They are," replied Nid, turning his attention back to his old friend, "very."  
"So how did these amateurs get a hold of them?"  
Again, Avo seemed perturbed by the question. "They must have -Krrsh- good connections." He ventured finally.  
"Good connections that don't include Avo Nid?"  
The volus didn't reply.  
"Come on Nid, we both know you're the only one on Omega that could have that kind of hardware available."  
Avo sized up his old friend for a second before finally lowering his head and sighing. "Alright, look. Someone came to me a few weeks ago asking after those missiles, -Krrsh- offered me a fortune if I could find one of them for him. Took me some hunting around and a few favours -Krrsh- but I held up my end of the bargain, and so did he." The volus leant around the wide frame of the krogan, pointing his stumpy arm at Tali and raising his muffled voice. "This was nothing personal though, -Krrsh- you hear? I had no idea what he was going to use that missile on, purely business you understand?" His voice took on a measure of calm. "Purely business." He confirmed to himself quietly, returning to his original stance.  
Torr remained unreadable throughout his defensive rant, finally asking yet another question of his old contact.  
"Who was he?"  
"You know how I operate Torr, -Krrsh- I don't do names in this business. -Krrsh- It's why I'm so popular."  
The krogan fixed him with a fierce stare.  
"Ah fine." Grumbled Avo. "He was a turian, ok? -Krrsh- A perfectly normal turian; the only distinguishing thing about him were his clan markings -Krrsh- and I don't know anything about what they mean before you ask me." He added defensively.  
_A turian?_ Thought Tali. _What in the cosmos did a turian want with the Tarmeena's destruction?  
_"Are you seeing him again?"

"He put in another order before he left, -Krrsh- offered more good money for it. I don't know where he was getting his credits but if they're as good as what he paid for the -Krrsh- missiles…"  
"What?" Demanded Torr.  
"Come on Torr, -Krrsh- client confidentiality, -Krrsh- you know I can't-"  
"WHAT?" His voice brokered no argument.  
"Alright, -Krrsh- alright. He asked for some personal weaponry, all small arms, -Krrsh- pretty standard outfitting for Omega, sniper rifles, -Krrsh- assault rifles, a few grenades, the works."  
"Plural?"  
"Plural." Nid confirmed. "He purchased multiples of each, -Krrsh- enough to outfit a small squad or two."  
"Hmm…Good stuff?"  
"Oh yes, -Krrsh- top of the line Devlon Industries grade, expensive -Krrsh- but not hard to get hold of." A touch of pride inflected the volus' voice.  
The taller alien appeared to think this over for a minute.  
"Do you have them ready for him?"  
"They're due to come in any time."  
"Then we're going to be there when you make the delivery." Decided Torr. "Somewhere we can keep an eye on him, someplace public."  
Nid threw up his arms in protest, his unhappiness with this entire situation finally making itself evident. "I can't initiate an arms deal -Krrsh- in public Torr! And even if I tried -Krrsh- it'd just tip him off."  
Torr huffed and crossed his arms, clearly not happy with the response. Nid waited nervously for a response, wringing his stubby paws unconsciously, his previous anger swiftly cowed by the krogan's intimidating posture. When the krogan remained silent, the squat alien raised it's stuffy voice.  
"L-look, maybe I can-"  
"What do you do when you meet him normally, who do you take with you?" demanded Torr, cutting the arms dealer off mid-sentence.  
"I uh, I see him in a small warehouse of mine. -Krrsh- Usually it's just me and my two bodyguards." He gestured toward the door they had left through.  
"And the squad hidden in one of the nearby buildings." Stated the krogan flatly.  
"Y-yes, and the -krrsh- backup squad." Avo corrected hastily, wringing his paws and glancing about the room as if hoping the ground would open and swallow him there and then.  
"Then you won't mind if me and my associates here," Torr hooked at thumb at Tali and Ren, "give you another backup squad, free of charge."  
"I don't know if I can…" Nid's words died in his throat as the monster crouched to bring the volus within eye level.  
"Think about it volus, I'm offering you free protection here." The old warrior's golden eyes glinted dangerously. "You don't get that kind of deal from a krogan vey often."  
"I-Yes, I see what you mean. -Krrsh- Alright Torr, I'll arrange something with him -Krrsh- and contact you with the details, yes?"  
Torr straightened, drawing himself up to his full, impressive height. "That'll do for me Avo, just make sure you stick to the deal. You tip this guy off and Krovak Torr will be less than pleased.  
The volus looked about ready to collapse. "Honest Torr -Krrsh- I won't breathe a word of it, I swear!"  
Abruptly the krogan turned on his heel and made for the door, surprising even his two charges with his sudden end to the conversation. "Good, then I'll be waiting for your call. 's been good to see you again Nid, glad the business is doing so well. Thanks for pulling out all the stops for an old friend." The krogan's eyes narrowed. "I'll be sure an' do the same."  
As soon as he had finished speaking Torr promptly exited, leaving the quarians scampering to keep up and Avo fumbling for a reply.

* * *

The door slid shut behind the trio and Nid promptly grabbed hold of a nearby desk to keep his legs from giving out under him. The volus let loose a lengthy exhale, the steady hiss from his pressure suit filling the room. He shook his head in disgust at his trembling hands as he reached into a pocket and withdrew a nondescript black box, no bigger than his finger. He cocked his head, listening to the heavy footfalls of his krogan guest fade away down the stairs.

Avo held the box up to the light, slowly rotating the tiny transmitter until a single button came into view. Did he dare push it? He glanced at the door. Did he dare not? Slowly, Nid set the transmitted down on the desk and walked around it, scrambling awkwardly into a high-backed chair built specially for his rotund frame. His hand reached for the communicator that would patch him through to his personal assistant.  
"Yes sir?" The voice was that of a pleasant female, Vena, his asari secretary.  
"Bring me a drink," Avo commanded, "something strong. -Krrsh- And hold my calls, -Krrsh- I have business to discuss."  
The arms dealer didn't wait for a reply, severing the line almost as soon as he had finished speaking. He lent his elbows on the cold metal of the desk and steepled his fingers, staring at the little black transmitter with cold eyes.

"Damn Krovak Torr -Krrsh-, damn him to the depths of hell."

* * *

"I get the feeling you enjoyed that Torr." Remarked Ren as they exited the desolate building, a strong inkling of humour in his tone.  
"It's always nice to see old friends again, particularly ones like Avo Nid." The krogan replied with a grin, his previously intimidating persona completely nonexistent. "That little runt would sell his womb mother if he thinks he can make a profit out of it, but confront him and he'll send her home on a luxury class starliner."  
"Womb mother?" Tal's brow furrowed.  
Torr looked down at her as they began the long journey back to his house.  
"Yes, the volus do not have mothers the way your kind would, not after childbirth at least."  
"Now I remember," she chastised herself, "they don't have family names do they? Because they believe you can't own a person and a family name would denote that."  
"Exactly and it's more than just a philosophy about names to them. In volus history, when a child was born the one who gave birth to him was known as the womb mother. It's an honorific really, it grants her no special permissions or dominion over the child; in fact after birth the child is taken from his mother and responsibility for his care is shared between the other females of the clan. In time, as the child grows older, he came to know every woman in the tribe as 'mother'. It stems from their tribal roots, long before they became as spacefaring race; it's not as applicable now, with a lot of children being brought up solely by their womb mothers when they're on distant worlds, but if you ever hear a young male speaking to an elder female volus, he'll still call her mother in accordance with tradition."

"So when you say Avo Nid would sell his womb mother, is it a severe insult or...?" Ren let his voice trail off, mildly confused.  
"It's a pretty big insult," confirmed Torr with a throaty chuckle, "saying a volus will sell anyone is bad enough, what with them being so careful to not lay ownership to anyone; it's even worse when I specify the womb mother who likely raised him singularly." He raised his voice over the irritating warble of the elevator music. "Of course, ol' Nid would sooner consider the profits of the idea than any insult if I ever said it to him."  
"Avo Nid aside, it's an interesting way of doing things," Tali remarked, "not so far from our own, viewing everyone as family."  
Torr conceded a nod. "Maybe, but these days it's not the same as it used to be to the volus. While most accept the tribal ways as they are supposed to and become close knit, the more manipulative individuals use it to maintain distance between themselves and the tribe, though that's only really become prevalent in recent centuries. Avo Nid is one of the latter."  
"Are you sure we can trust him with this?" Ren asked.  
"He'll contact us soon," Torr nodded, "Avo's too much of a coward not to."  
"And until then?"  
"You'd better practice your aim Stiff, I get the feeling this guy we're after might make things lively."

* * *

It was almost nightfall by the time they had returned to the house where Tali finally succumbed to the curiosity that had been plaguing her all day.  
"Torr, there's something I don't understand."  
"What's that then Tali?"  
"Ever since we got here you've been helping us, guiding us, being completely open with us and even showing sympathy for all those people living on the streets.  
"So?"  
Tali scowled at herself, frustrated. "Well it- it's not _normal_. You're so different from everything we were told to expect. I mean, look at our meeting with Avo! For all your bluster with him today, you're incredibly tame for a krogan. From what they told us about krogan back on the fleet, and considering the reputation of where we are, I just don't understand how or why you're so…"  
"Unlike any krogan you've ever heard of?"  
She nodded.  
Torr sighed, suddenly sounding tired. "Even krogan get sick of taking life eventually and the few of us that live to that stage, well, we start to wondering what to do with ourselves. The few I know sat around in bars and reminisced over the old days, like good krogans."  
"You didn't, did you?" Tali felt an unbidden smile playing at the corners of her mouth, her previous frustration gone.  
Torr grinned at her intuition. "Old Krovak Torr, he read books."  
For a moment there was silence as each of the quarians processed this before Tali finally spoke. "You weren't kidding when you said you were a rare kind of krogan."  
Torr's laughter echoed throughout the house.

**Author's Notes**  
This chapter has been especially fun to write which is probably why it's so lengthy; I really enjoyed developing both Omega's denizens and Krovak Torr's personality as well as setting things up for the next installment. Though Torr hasn't strayed far from the kind of character I originally envisioned, he has taken on a few tweaks of his own here, something that I love about writing. Addition of a volus to the story has almost been a necessity for me, I find the little folks highly amusing and fleshing out their culture in my own way was one of the most enjoyable parts of the story so far. Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!


	8. Chapter 8: Sons and Daughters

**Chapter 8 – Sons and Daughters  
**The next morning Tali awoke early, managing to creep down the rusted metal staircase almost soundlessly, any noise hidden by the thunderous snores coming from a room at the end of the hall. She smiled to herself. Torr might have been an unusual krogan, but he was still a krogan. The noise prompted a memory, and she remembered the few occasions she'd caught Bardi sleeping in the engine room on the _Rayya_; put the two in the same room and they'd be competing for the title of 'Ship's Loudest Snorer' before long. She bent her head slightly, listening to Torr's rumbling breaths, comparing them to what she remembered of Bardi and trying to guess who might top the other. After a solid five minutes she gave it up, without proper measuring equipment the pair were just too close for her to make her mind up. Shaking her head at herself for even trying, Tali made her way down the rest of the steps, pausing at the bottom to check in on Ren.

To her surprise the young Lieutenant wasn't present, his discarded sleeping gear rolled and stacked at the base of the couch in neat, crisp military style. Confused, Tali quickly searched the kitchen, expecting him to be consuming one of his synth tubes. He wasn't there either and she briefly wondered if Torr had found him another room somewhere else in the house. She finally found him outside Torr's back door, sitting on the grated steel steps and staring very intently at the dark wall of one of the houses opposite. She watched him through the grime coated window, wondering what was going through his head to hold his attention so raptly, soon realising that aside from his heritage and vocation, she had very little knowledge of who exactly the young Lieutenant was. When he didn't move or notice her after five minutes of apparent brooding, she decided there was no better time to find out.

Ren's head snapped up at her footfalls and he pivoted his torso to spot the source of the disturbance. "Morning Tali," he sounded more cheerful than he'd first appeared, "how're you holding up?"  
"I could ask you the same question, you're sat out here like someone just took your favourite toy."  
A soft chuckle came from the interior of his red suit. "It might surprise you to learn that I actually like to just sit and think every now and then."  
Tali paused, immediately bashful. "I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have disturbed you." She edged to go back inside.  
Ren shook his head firmly. "It's fine, I'm just being cynical is all; get it from my old man." He scooted over slightly to make room next to him. Tali hesitated for a second before accepting the unspoken invitation.  
"But on a serious note, how are you doing?"  
"Not well." Tali shook her head, sinking into the space beside him before abruptly venting the turmoil she'd been struggling with all night. "I just can't get over the fact that someone might be trying to kill us. I mean, what did we ever do to anyone? We had hardly left the fleet for the first time when they attacked us!"  
"Maybe it wasn't us," Ren mused, "maybe it was somebody else on the ship they were after."  
"Maybe," she conceded, "but they were no different from us Ren, there's no reason any of us should have died." She almost choked on the word, the reality of it hitting home again.  
He thought it over. "There's no way we can know for sure, in fact we don't even know if they targeted us for a particular reason in the first place, they might have just gone for a random transport and we got unlucky."  
"I suppose so." A thought struck her. "Then what about the weapons he'd ordered from Avo Nid? Maybe he ordered them because he knew we survived." She glanced down the alley, suddenly feeling very conspicuous. "Do you think they've been watching us?"  
Ren gently laid his hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to face him. "Tali, that kind of thinking is just going to end up with you being a paranoid wreck. Whatever reasons this turian has for his actions, we'll find out once Avo arranges the meeting. Until then, trying to work out every angle of this situation is only going to drive us insane."  
Tali stared into the dark, silver depths of his eyes for a moment then finally sighed and broke her gaze, despondent. "I guess you're right."  
He chuckled again. "Yeah, get that from my dad too; pain in the neck sometimes."  
"Getting things from your dad?"  
The chuckle became a laugh. "No, being right!"

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a time, neither quarian feeling particularly drawn to break it.  
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Tali requested eventually.  
"Knock yourself out."  
"Are you worried about your Pilgrimage? I mean, putting aside the fact that somebody may be trying to kill us, do you ever worry that whatever we might find to bring home might not live up to expectations?"  
Ren rocked back slightly, leaning his back against the cool metal of the door as he thought over what she'd said. "I guess I do," he decided finally, "now and again, but for the most part I don't waste time thinking about it. No offence," he added hastily, "but my father always taught me that worrying about something is wasting time that could be being used productively elsewhere."  
Tali bent her head to one side, considering his words. "I never really thought of it like that." She admitted.  
"It helps keep you focused, and he's right, and the end of the day worry gets you nowhere."  
"He's a smart man."  
Ren laughed at that, recalling his days back on the fleet. "You knew my father, I'm pretty sure you'd agree when I say he's a fine example of our clan; very down to earth and blunt, a man of simple philosophies."  
Tali smiled at the fondness in his voice, both pleased and envious of the ease with which he talked about his father. "You two were close?"  
"Yeah, we are. I guess it's why I've followed in his footsteps, he's been grooming me for the navy since childhood."  
"Sounds like a lot of pressure." Tali observed, recalling her own experiences of living under her father's ambitions.  
"No, not really." Ren replied, his immediately positive response drawing a surprised look from Tali. "My dad was always pushing me to do my best in everything," he offered by way of explanation, "but he never asked for more than that. Even if I failed at something, not matter how bad or shamed _I _felt about it, he never once added to it. He'd raise my chin so I'd stop looking at my boots, stare right into my eyes with this piercing, 'I see all' look, and say 'Ren, there's never any shame in doing your best.'" He shook his head at himself. "It probably sounds incredibly sappy but it's always stayed with me. Anyway, as I grew older I stopped feeling that kind of shame and fear; well, not completely, but for the most part I had this...quiet feeling inside that he'd always be proud of me, whether I made Admiral or never passed Corporal."

"How long have you been in the navy?"  
Ren straightened slightly, as if mention of his career had suddenly made him an officer again. "Enlisted at 18, made Lt a few months ago."  
"You didn't enlist as an officer?" asked Tali, surprised.  
"No, that was my own little quirk. My dad was happy to commission me with any one of his old military friends but I wanted to do things the same way he did, climb the ranks all the way from the base grade, see how far I could push myself to go."  
Tali smiled softly, the faint reflection of her eyes glowing slightly brighter. "And you've already gotten all the way to Lieutenant."  
"Yeah," the adolescent's voice was tinged with a quiet pride, "not a bad run so far. Though sometimes I wonder if it's more because of who my father is rather than my own abilities."  
"From the way you handled things back on the _Tarmeena_, I'd say who your father is has nothing to do with it."  
Ren considered this for a moment, eventually conceding a nod. "Thanks Tali, it's nice to hear someone other than family say it, y'know?"  
She nodded, understanding completely.

"So what's your father like?" Ren enquired. "I never really got to meet him properly."  
"I'm sure your dad must have talked about him from time to time."  
"That's true," the navy officer replied, "but I'd like to hear about him from someone who knows him best."  
"Then perhaps you'd be better off speaking to the other Admirals." Though she tried, Tali couldn't quite manage to keep a slight chill from her tone.  
Ren seemed to pick up on it and edged forward slightly. "What d'you mean?"  
"He's...a very dedicated man." Decided Tali eventually, being careful to choose her words.  
Ren nodded slowly. "Ah, yes. That he is." From the angle of his helmet as he looked at her, Tali had a horrible feeling he knew exactly what she meant.

"I don't suppose you've got any...ah, no, no never mind."  
"What's up?" Tali raised an eyebrow, though the expression went unseen.  
Her companion suddenly looked very awkward. "I was going to ask you something but it's not important, doesn't matter."  
"Ren I'd like to hear it, and I promise I won't get offended."  
He seemed to wrestle with the statement "I was going to ask if you had any siblings, but then I remembered what you said about your mother and...yeah."  
Tali's response was tinged with sympathy. "It's fine Ren, really, that was five years ago now. I wouldn't say I'm completely over it," her head dipped a little, "I don't know if you ever are, but never talking about it isn't going to help me deal with it any better."  
Her thoughts strayed to her father, Rael'Zorah. There was a fine example of the truth in that statement if she ever needed one.  
"That's one thing I haven't got from my parents," Ren muttered, still abashed, "thinking before I speak. Sometimes my mouth can run away with me."  
"It's ok, she smiled, gently placing her hand on his, "but to answer your question no, mother passed on before the admirals decided to rescind the Population Control Edict. How about you, any siblings?"  
"A sister," he revealed, "born just over three years ago now. I've hardly seen her since then and now that I'm on Pilgrimage, well, if I'm out here for years, she might be in her first environmental suit by the time I get back.  
"I highly doubt you'll be out here by then Ren," reassured Tali with certainty, "I don't think you could handle the smell of this place for that long."  
Ren smirked. "True, while I appreciate what Torr's done for us the big guy gets some rotten gas sometimes."  
They shared a laugh, recalling the krogan's unabashed blow out the previous night.

"So what's she like, your sister I mean?"  
"She's beautiful, so tiny and fragile. I thought we were frail enough with our immune systems but looking at her little frame, that was something else entierly." His gaze drifted to his hands. "I got to touch her once y'know, a few days before her first birthday. I'd managed to get some leave aboard the _Neema_ and my dad had diplomatic duties on the _Rayya_ at the same time. We took a shuttle together and detoured to the birthing deck once we were aboard. You ever been there?"  
Tali shook her head. "Not since birth and only senior engineers are allowed to work on that level."  
"It's a real sight alright. A first glance those rows of sterile white bubbles look really ominous but when you get close enough to see the kids inside, it takes your breath away. It's...it's difficult to describe the feeling you get, it's almost like each of those kids is a beautiful, tiny deity locked in their own little paradise, hidden away and blissfully ignorant of the harsh world the rest of us share."  
Tali couldn't help a small giggle. "I don't remember it being much like that when I was living inside one Ren."  
"Oh me neither," he responded quickly, "all I can remember of the bubbles is how much I wanted out. But you kinda forget all that when you're looking at these children, so young and innocent."

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Maybe it was just seeing someone out of a suit, I mean, sometimes it's hard to remember what other people look like in these things, but whatever it was felt magical. Anyway, she was asleep when we got there so we just sat and watched her for a bit while my dad asked about how she was doing medically, y'know, the boring questions for a recently enlisted 18 year old. Eventually he had to go deal with his meeting and he left me there, promised to pick me up on his way back; about twenty minutes later she woke up and the first thing she noticed was me sitting there."  
A warm smile slowly spread across the pilgrim's face.  
"She got up, crawled her way across to me on these tiny little hands and feet and plopped herself down right up against the side of the bubble. You remember those gloves? The things they had on the side of the glass that let you reach inside without risking contamination?"  
Tali nodded, gesturing for him to continue.  
"Normally they have someone around when you use those, just to be safe, but right then there wasn't any supervisor within sight. I couldn't help myself. I reach in and bend my hand down for her and she looks up at it for a minute, Keelah she had the most gorgeous eyes, and slowly reaches up and grabs one of my fingers in this small little fist of hers. She held me like that for a couple of minutes, never took her eyes from mine, and finally let go."  
Tali felt the beginnings of a soft lump form in her throat and she quickly blinked back any traces of excess moisture in her eyes, just as a precaution. "That's really sweet Ren, I don't think I've heard anyone talk about how precious life really is with that kind of insight before." The machinist raised her head slightly, a wistful, faraway look hidden under the purple glass. "It'd be nice to meet her one day, when we're back with the fleet."  
Ren smiled. "I'd like that and I think she would too. It's funny, right after that happened she crawled back into what passed for her bed and went right back to sleep like it was the most natural thing in the world." He chuckled at the memory. "I spent the rest of visit there, just sitting and watching her sleep. I don't know who was more surprised that I was still there when dad came back, me or him."  
Tali was quiet for moment. "That's a beautiful story." She murmured softly. "I've never had a sibling, or even a cousin, to think about like that it's...inspiring, I think, to hear you tell it. Thank you for sharing." A soft smile played at the edges of her eyes as she turned to face him once more. The quarian made sure she had his attention before tapping her chin lightly; not quite the gesture for the most genuine smile they could give, but close.

He looked at her with appreciation for a second and nodded. "You're welcome. It was a wakeup call too, as perfect as she looked in there, when we got back to the _Neema_ I started to see what my dad was getting at when he says no one, especially a child, should have to live like that."  
"We'll go back home one day Ren, the geth won't be allowed to keep Rannoch from us forever."  
"I expect you're right Tali, I just hope it happens in my lifetime. We've been trying to end the exile for centuries; it makes you wonder what kind of person it would take to finally make it happen."  
Tali was tempted to say "My father", after all, Rael had given everything in service to that cause, including his relationship with her, but ultimately her respect for him won out and she held her tongue.  
"I don't know about you," she ventured at last, "but this alley is getting dingier by the minute, I'm going to head back inside."  
So saying, she hopped to her feet, followed closely by Ren. "No argument here." The Lieutenant quipped.

"Is it just me, or did Avo Nid agree to Torr's demands pretty quickly?" he questioned as they slipped back inside the house.  
"You mean if a ten foot tall krogan asked you to set up a meeting you wouldn't do it?" Came the snarky reply.  
"Well yes, but I'm not a well established, undoubtedly wealthy arms dealer."  
"What makes you think Nid is wealthy?"  
"C'mon Tali, he's a volus. Besides, if those missiles are worthy anything near as much as he made out he could probably buy half the station now. It just strikes me as a bit odd that with all that cash behind him our little merchant friend couldn't hire enough bodyguards to fill the entire district between him and Torr, not to mention that Torr didn't even threaten him, not really."  
"He seemed pretty intimidating to me."  
"True, but if a bit of growling is that's all it took I'm surprised Avo's still in business. Torr kinda just asked and Nid agreed without too much of a fight, normally that kind of behaviour will land you with either no customers or a bullet somewhere unpleasant on a station like this."  
"Maybe he and Torr have some kind of arrangement," replied Tali with a shrug, taking up a seat on an ancient, malformed couch, "maybe he owes him something."  
"Maybe." Ren didn't seem convinced.  
"You think he's selling us out?"  
"I don't think so but I do think, like Torr hinted last night, Nid might well be quick to pull one over us." He stood, making a motion for the door. "In which case, I'm going to follow Torr's advice and make sure my gear's all in working order. You should do the same, how long has it been since you cleaned out that shotgun?"  
Tali shrugged awkwardly. "I've only had it a few days." She tapped the pistol. "This too."  
"All the more reason to do it then, you don't know what condition they might be in."  
She nodded, conceding to his point, though she had to muster a defence for her father. "I doubt my dad would give me a poor quality weapon."  
"I don't disagree, but my dad always said to check anything, especially a weapon, when you can, no matter who it may be from."  
Tali again nodded, somewhat hesitantly, and pulled the pistol from its holster, watching as it clicked and clacked into firing mode.  
"You ever cleaned a gun before?" He'd picked upon her uncertainty.  
"It's been a while." She admitted reluctantly.  
"C'mon then," Ren gestured for her to follow him. "I'll walk you through it."

Forty five minutes later the two pilgrims sat in Torr's dining room, a heavy, stained cloth protecting a table that was all but buried under hardened outer casings, specially sealed mass propellant chambers, tough springs and a multitude of other, unidentifiable parts. With Ren's help, Tali had managed to give the Kessler I pistol a through dressing down and was now working on the Storm III shotgun her father had given her. Ren sat at the other side of the table, carefully oiling the springs of his assault rifle, a well-cared for Hahne-Kedar Lancer IV.  
"You ever use that thing?" he asked, gesturing at the shotgun with a filthy rag.  
"Only on the range, my dad had me take a few lessons before I left the flotilla. I always thought if I ever fired at anyone it'd be geth and it's easy to put aside any emotions when you're not shooting people."  
"You going to be ok with that? I know what happened on the _Tarmeena_ shook you up."  
"I don't know," she said at last, "_is_ there any way to know?"  
Ren shook his head "That's what military training is for but unfortunately I'm no instructor and we don't have the time even if I was. I guess we'll just have to hope it doesn't come to that."  
"And if it does?"  
"Pretend it's a geth you're shooting at. Either that, or make sure you switch your brain off. Maybe you'll be one of the luckier ones anyway or we can just hope if things do go bad they go bad quickly, give you less time to think about what you're doing."  
"And that's a good thing…how?"  
"Better you react by instinct than hesitating and starting to wonder if you can live with ending someone's life, that's what my sergeant said anyway."  
"You don't agree?"  
Ren shook his head. "I've just never been in that kind of a situation to know, I might have more knowledge and military experience than you but as far as real life face to face combat goes, I'm as fresh as you are."

"So what did you mean by one of the luckier ones?"  
"Some folks, the ones my father said were born for this kind of work, get into a kind of adrenaline rush. Everyone does to some extent but most just enter a kind of blind chaos. It's dangerous, you can get too focused on bringing down a target, let yourself get exposed too easy, your attention drops and you're suddenly flanked, the list goes on. The lucky few get into these rushes but manage to maintain their clarity, makes for disciplined, effective killers."  
Tali stopped what she was doing, the angle of her helmet managing to communicate the funny look she was giving Ren. "So when you say luckier ones…"  
The youthful officer seemed to realise what he'd said and stumbled to correct it. "I mean one of those that can maintain their clarity without having to worry about hesitating over taking a shot; it's a pretty rare talent."  
"I guess we'll find out exactly how I'll act." pronounced Tali, sliding the weapon's heat sink back into place with a soft 'sch-llick'.  
Ren watched, his eyes harbouring a quiet approval. "I guess we will."

**Author Notes  
**As I realised myself in the last chapter, and as LtAshler also pointed out, Ren has been a little underdeveloped as a character so far; for that reason he's been the main focus of this chapter. I did originally intend to include a different dialogue encounter with Torr as well, but time constraints, length and the fact that it could well be a case of "too much history too soon" has pushed that little conversation to either the next chapter or a later one, I've yet to decide. I understand it's one of the shorter chapters to date and is almost entirely dialogue, but hopefully the insights into characters makes up for it.


	9. Chapter 9: Overwatch

****

Chapter 9 - Overwatch

As days ticked slowly by the two pilgrims, used to tight quarters and lack of personal space though there were, began to develop the first strains of cabin fever. It always happened from time to time on the Migrant Fleet and even there there were ways around it, but here it had taken hold much quicker than either was used to.  
"Maybe it's just sharing the house with a krogan?" wondered Ren, "I mean there weren't exactly many of those to put up with on the flotilla."  
"For me I think it's knowing that there's a whole world out there and we're not allowed to partake in it." Tali glanced towards the door dejectedly. "I know it's dangerous and Torr's just being protective but…that's what they sent us out here for in the first place isn't it? To explore and learn?"  
"Well there's plenty of exploring to do where we're going Tali'Zorah." Declared a booming voice from the doorway. Both Tali and Ren's heads snapped around, each unnerved by the way the old krogan could move so quietly sometimes.  
"I really wish you wouldn't do that Torr." Tali muttered.  
"Think of it as encouragement to pay more attention next time." Winked Torr. "Now," his paw hit the table and a dull thunk penetrated the air, "it looks like Avo finally got around to scheduling his meet with the contact."  
Ren fairly jumped up off the couch. "He finally called?"  
"He did indeed, grab your kit and get ready to roll kids."  
Both quarians were already making for the door. "We thought you'd never ask!" They chorused.

* * *

"What in the ancestors is that thing?"  
Torr chuckled at the response, withdrawing a dirty rag so the Lieutenant could get a good look. "This Stiff is an M-300, an old krogan shotgun; it's been unofficially nicknamed the Claymore and let's just say it packs one hell of a punch."  
Tali had had much the same reaction a few moments earlier when she found Torr bent over the table, busily giving the terrifying weapon a last minute check over.  
Ren attempted to lift it, only to find the gun weighed a lot more than he'd expected. "Holy…how the hell do you _use_ this thing?"  
"Carefully." Torr responded with a grin. "That thing can take your arm off if you ain't ready for it."  
Ren laid the weapon back down on the table as best he could, a heavy thump still accompanying the action. He stepped back, staring at the deadly device with a newfound respect.  
"Not speaking from personal experience I hope?" Commented Tali, busily working last minute calibrations into her Omni-Tool.  
Torr snorted. "Huh, first time I fired it the thing bust my arm. Shattered more bones than I thought I had. 'Course, that's going back a few years now and I've learned to appreciate her since then." His large paw stroked the Claymore's barrel fondly.  
Tali shook her head at the krogan's easy dismissal of what anyone else would consider a horrific injury. "Are we ready?"  
"I think so," Torr replied, pushing himself up from the table while Ren offered an affirming nod, "let's go see what old Nid has been up to."

* * *

The warehouse was in a completely different district on the other side of the asteroid, meaning walking was out of the question. Instead, Torr led them to Soka's airspeeder port where they booked a short hop across the station, the price of which kept Torr grumbling for the next ten minutes. Both Tali and Ren offered to pay for their seats with what little credits they had but the old krogan would have none of it. "I'm not gonna be responsible for bankrupting you two while you're here."  
Tali was about to protest, getting a little sick of relying on the gracious being so much, when Ren cut in before she could get the words out. "We appreciate the gesture Torr."  
"It's all right Stiff, there's plenty of loan sharks around here who'll do that for me." With a trademark grin, Torr climbed aboard the speeder first, offering the requisite credits to the pilot before promptly strapping himself in tightly. Catching Ren's quizzical look, even behind the dark red of his visor, the krogan merely settled himself further into the torn synthetic cloth of the chair. "Believe me kid, you'll regret it if you don't."

Their salarian pilot hardly waited for the door to close before ascending high into Omega's traffic lanes, the rusted little speeder clunking and groaning with the tax placed on its engines. Once they entered the lanes things became chaotic with each and every pilot seemingly heedless of the term "right of way". It was unlike anything Tali had ever experienced, speeders crossed lanes at random, so often in fact that she began to doubt there were any lanes. The driver didn't seem to think so, making a beeline straight for their destination. Every few seconds he'd yank on the controls with a reaction speed that his race was so well known for and the little rust bucket would hop over or dart under an oncoming speeder. Tali swiftly began to hate the entire experience, understanding why Torr had been so quick to strap himself in.

Fortunately flight across the station, while deadly, was over remarkably quickly, though Tali had never been so happy to step off a ship before. "I don't know if my stomach could have taken much more of that." She groaned.  
"I thought it was a brawl down here on the streets," remarked Ren who was staggering slightly, "but compared to up there," he shook his helmeted head, "…isn't there any traffic control on this rock?"  
Torr laughed joylessly. "Wishful thinking Stiff. In this place all anyone has time for is either living in misery of causing it, no one bats an eye if two airspeeders collide every few weeks because the pilots were too intoxicated to fly straight." He gestured to the exit. "C'mon, I haven't been here for a good few centuries but I've got records of the layout."  
"Wouldn't they be a little out of date by now Torr?" asked Tali gently as the old mechanic activated his Omni-Tool.  
"Yup," came the cheerful reply, "which is why I made sure Nid forwarded me some directions." He smiled broadly, as though pleased with himself, and extended his arm to Tali so she could view the route, whereupon his Omni-Tool promptly fizzed and died. "Dammit." The rumble was so low Tali thought it sounded like gravel. Torr stabbed at his wrist again and after a few splutters the device sparked back into life.  
"Torr, how _old_ is that thing?" Demanded Tali after catching a glimpse of what looked like a very ancient interface system.  
"Couple o' centuries, give or take." The krogan muttered, ducking his head aside and suddenly sounding embarrassed. Tali had to quash the sudden giggle that threatened to rise at the idea of this towering monster of a krogan being able to so much as entertain the notion of embarrassment.  
"You should let her have a look at it when we get back old timer," jibed Ren playfully, "if we're lucky she might be able to make the light stay on for more than five minutes." The young Lieutenant was quickly forced to duck as an arm as thick as a small tree swung for his head.

Torr's Omni-Tool eventually, after much stopping and starting, led them to a secluded little storage area where streets were lined with row upon row of warehouses, tightly sealed shipping crates and all manner of storage items. Tali was surprised to see it was almost deserted.  
"I'd expected at least _some_ people wandering around."  
"Yeah," chimed in Ren, whose unease had been building for the past few streets, "I thought he was supposed to be making this public."  
"Avo Nid may be a coward but like many cowards, he's smart; this is about as public as he gets." He tapped at the dim light of his Omni-tool, cursing his thick fingers for the thousandth time that day.  
"C'mon, should be in here." He gestured to a non-descript warehouse, indistinguishable from the many that lined the street.  
Tali moved ahead to open the man sized metal door that had been built into the structure's wall but found a massive hand clamping down gently on her arm.  
"Easy Tali, I'll go in first. If he's going to try anything I've got the instincts to avoid it."  
Tali eyed his impressive physique and sincerely doubted he'd be able to extricate himself from the doorway faster then her if any bullets starting flying, but she also recognized the gesture for what it really was, another act of protection; if anyone did start shooting Torr's frame would almost completely block any rounds from endangering the two pilgrims, though likely at the expense of his life. She shook her head relinquishing her lead. _What did we ever do to deserve this from him? I don't care what this Rikka'Nall did, there's far more to this than he's letting on_.

She quickly planned to corner the old alien once this was all over as any opportunity for further discussion died as Torr swung open the door. He paused in the frame for a moment, his towering body illuminated by weak light from the building's interior, and after no immediate volley was loosed, slowly entered the warehouse. Ren followed immediately, unwilling to let his friend endanger himself alone any more on their behalf; Tali brought up the rear, hoping the soft glow of her Omni-Tool would be interpreted as something harmless, rather than the devastating overload attack she had the device ready to unleash.  
The trio stood side by side in silence for a second and Tali found herself glancing at Torr for direction. The krogan didn't seem too pleased by what he saw.  
"I thought Nid was supposed to be here." Muttered Ren, his hand not far from the pistol clamped to his thigh.  
"So did I." Torr growled.

The spacious warehouse contained very little save scattered cargo crates and a portable field console that held the position of honour, bleeping and whirring in the middle of the floor. Around it were clustered two humans, an asari and a solitary turian. A heavyset batarian was monitoring the device, seated amidst the glowing displays, his thick fingers stabbing at the holographic keys. His companions looked up as the intruders approached; the asari's eyes flashed distrust, a sentiment echoed by the shorter of the two humans, a somewhat lanky, black skinned individual who cradled a helmet in one arm. He tapped his fingers across the brow as though displeased by their arrival, tracking their every step with dark, malevolent eyes. His fellow comrade seemed much less interested, granting them barely a glance before turning his attention back to the console, discussing something with the batarian operator that Tali couldn't quite catch. The turian was largely unreadable, as his race often was, but he was the only one to step forward once Torr and the two pilgrims neared the squad, his steps purposeful and deliberate. Tali instinctively marked him as the leader.

He wore simple, regulation armour that marked him as a member of the Blue Suns, much like the rest of his squad and the thin lines of white colony markings that decorated the fins and mandibles of his face subtly complemented it. The markings themselves were marred however, by a pale scar that ran from just under the turian's nostrils to the angle of his jaw, covering most of his chin in the process. In addition, Tali noticed the tip of the corresponding mandible had been sheared off, leaving behind a frail looking stump that seemed horribly lifeless; the damage exposing a row of thin, dagger-like teeth that heralded the species' predatory nature.

"I'm Lieutenant Koliaan, Blue Suns." Declared the turian as he approached, the words more a challenge than an introduction.  
"Torr, Ren and Tali." Responded the krogan, indicating each with a nod of his head, "Avo told you we were coming?"  
Koliaan nodded, though his stern expression never faltered. "This is our biotic specialist Nira," the asari smiled wickedly, "Paladin, explosives and support," he gestured to the darker of the two humans who didn't so much as acknowledge the motion, "my trusted Sergeant over there is Silas," the light skinned human looked up and graced them with a curt nod before resuming his conversation, "and our batarian operator behind the Sergeant is Rola'Jmon." A hand extended around the side of Silas' torso and gave them a quick wave before retreating.

"Where's Nid?"  
"He's already at the meeting point with his private guard, you don't need to worry about him. Right now, our orders are to watch for the arrival of Avo's contact and monitor the meet. If anything starts to go wrong, we go in hard and fast."  
A flash of something Tali couldn't quite catch crossed the Lieutenant's face, distaste perhaps? Ren seemed to think so.  
"Is there a problem here Lieutenant?"  
"I don't like having outsiders working with my team," Koliaan admitted, "too many unknowns."  
"We know how to handle ourselves." Remarked Tali defensively, earning a subtle reprimanding glance from Torr.  
"Whether _you_ think you can or not is irrelevant," replied the turian firmly, "_I _have no guarantees of it."  
His arms crossed over the metallic carapace that made up most of his torso.  
"Look, I don't know why you need to be here and frankly, I'm none too happy about it. Just stay quiet and let us do what we're getting paid for and we can all go our separate ways later, alright?"  
Torr nodded. "Reasonable enough for me turian," said Torr with a nod, seeking to allay the Lieutenant's worries, "just let us keep an eye on what's going on."  
Some of the fight seemed to go out of Koliaan and his shoulders relaxed a bit. "Grab a seat by the console," he offered, hooking a thumb at the station, "you'll be able to watch this whole thing go down."

As Torr led the way, Tali took the opportunity to examine their new companions more closely. Each seemed a typical example of their species, though if her experiences with Torr had taught her anything, it's that no one was quite what they first appeared to be. The asari, Nira, hovered at the edge of the group, leaning almost sensually against a tall packing crate. Her arm was bent at the elbow and every few seconds her hand would ignite with a purple-blue cloud of biotic energy which the adept would maintain for a few seconds before abruptly extinguishing it. Every time she issued forth a new burst of energy the biotic field seemed to warp the faded blue/white of her armour, the protective metal appearing to fluctuate and bend as the element zero powered cloud toyed with the light. Her free hand dangled loosely at her side, inches away from the dark red casing of her Stinger II pistol while a pair of deep violet eyes stared down her nose at everything in sight.

The human known as Paladin stood nearby, looking less and less pleased by their presence with each passing second. He freely scowled at Tali when he caught her glance and despite her obscuring visor, still managed to glare directly into her eyes. A closely cropped crown of black hair merged seamlessly with an equally short, face encompassing beard. Thin trimmings ran under his wide nose, the nostrils of which seemed to flare with aggression at every breath. Lavishly decorated armour plating covered the man's muscular frame, its original blue and white all but buried in a mass of carefully emblazoned custom designs. Bright blue suns shone from his forearms, their elaborate white rays spiralling up his arm and merging with the ancient, faceless helmets that adorned his shoulder.

His torso armour was covered in what appeared to be a carefully constructed collection of intertwined creatures whose name's Tali could only begin to guess at. They appeared reptilian in origin, with long, flowing bodies that ended in forked tails. Some seemed to have what Tali guessed were thick, almost leather like wings, massive things whose edges were frayed and tattered as though the strange beast had been in a battle of some sort. Their heads were the strangest, thin, elongated snouts ended in nostrils that seemed to billow smoke every time the human moved and the position of the light changed. Whisker-like tendrils flowed back towards the monster's wide chin, atop which sat a pair of fierce, animalistic eyes that burned with rage. They in turn were crowned by a pair of large, spiralling horns that curved up from the back of the creature's skull.

"Like what you see bucket-head?"  
Though the human's arrogance repulsed her Tali said nothing to the blatant insult. _A typical example of his race. Arrogant and callous._ Ren however was not content to let it slide, though fortunately he kept his tone civil. "Where you'd get it done?" he asked innocuously.  
"I don't remember it being your damn business." Came the brusque answer.  
"Just saying, I'd think about going back and speaking with the guy if I was you," he replied with an innocent shrug, "I've seen children draw better."  
His words drew an appreciative "Ha!" from the lone batarian whilst Paladin looked taken aback by the Lieutenant's challenge and stumbled for a reply.  
"And I thought humans with all their drive to excel might have actually developed _some_ manners." said Tali to Ren, who shook his head in response.  
"They got ya there Pal; the girl, she ain't like your usual types huh?" chuckled Rola, drawing a scowl from the dark-skinned human.  
"Stow it laughin' boy," Paladin growled angrily, "I don't see women paying you anything better n' a few seconds puke."  
"More than I ever asked of them." Was the Jmon's cheery response, utterly unfazed by the abusive remarks.  
"Knock it off," growled Silas, "the both o' yer; we ain't getting paid t' babysit ourselves. 'course, if we were I'd be a rich bloke b'now with the likes of you two muppets."  
His fellow human abruptly turned away with a snarl, making a beeline for the waist high crate that currently formed a table of sorts. Tali briefly felt a chill run through her as images of him snatching up an assault rifle and gunning her down where she stood entered her mind but the seething human merely busied himself with checking the settings of the various weapons; his helmet resounding with a loud clang as he brought it down on the crate with excessive force.

The Sergeant shook his head, his expression showing he'd seen this kind of behaviour many times before. He still hovered by the console, his attention quickly switching from Paladin's tantrum to exchanging words with the Rola again. For all Paladin's bravado his comrade looked the far more capable of the two, the thinning grey hair, long jagged scars and the harsh weathered edge to his face attesting to his many years of experience. He'd hardly glanced at them before but now that he was taking an interest Tali found herself wondering what exactly his eyes saw. Would he know enough of her race to realise they were pilgrims? Would his experience help him spot their own lack? Could he tell that Ren and Krovak had already fired weapons at people and she hadn't? Perhaps he could-_No_. She stopped herself before she got any further. _This is not serving a purpose. _Ren's words echoed through her mind and she shut the human out, turning her attention to the field console's operator.

The batarian, Rola'Jmon, seemed quite the contrast to the rest of his squad. Where they had fit, battle toned forms, his stomach bulged with rolls of flab. Where they were insulated and distrustful he appeared jovial and welcoming. The four eyes of his species matched with the four chins of his figure and he'd forgone the protective garments of his fellows, likely because any armour wouldn't be able to contain his girth. Despite his bulk the batarian looked to be very good at his job, his pudgy fingers dancing over keys with an instinct honed by years of use. "What's up guys? Rola Jmon at your service; I'd stand but frankly, I'm just too damn lazy." He hooked a fleshy thumb at the pile of crates behind him. "Feel free to be lazy too, we could be here a while with the way Avo Nid can talk."

Tali expected the Sergeant to reprimand the operator at that comment but he didn't so much as flinch, evidently loose talk about employers was the norm in this particular Blue Suns band.  
She had to give him even more credit when Torr sidled up alongside him, staring down at the various orange holo screens, drawing nothing more than an almost appreciative glance from the experienced mercenary.  
"I'll stand thanks; something tells me those crates weren't designed for a krogan's weight."  
"'specially one like you huh big guy?" Rola gulped nervously, evidently not sharing his superior's backbone.  
Torr said nothing and from the crates behind him Tali could only guess at his expression.  
The way Rola's head quickly and quietly turned back to his screens indicated her imaginings weren't far off.

"Heads up," called the Sergeant suddenly, "look like our boy has just arrived."  
The words had a sobering effect on the squad as they collectively stopped what they were doing and clustered around the data console. Ren led the way as they followed, the young Lieutenant eager to catch a glimpse of the being responsible for attacking his people, Tali directly behind him. Though the console's many screens offered different views of the same room, the centre monitor showed Avo Nid standing in the centre of a warehouse not unlike the one they stood in now. Two bodyguards, a krogan and a turian, hovered over each of his shoulders protectively, no more than two feet behind their diminutive master. The camera angle suddenly switched to show a non descript metal door on the other side of the room, a shaft of light spreading across the floor as it swung open. A shadow appeared, eclipsed quickly by the easily identifiable figure of a turian. The newcomer strode into the room casually, a small band of vorcha fanning out behind him. They numbered eight in total and carried a vicious assortment of weapons from shotguns to assault rifles and even a flamethrower. The turian led them across the room, coming to a stop only a few metres from Nid when the volus held up his hands in what Tali interpreted as a gesture to "stay put".

"That's a lot of vorcha," Torr rumbled, "too many for a guard detail."  
Nid's two bodyguards seemed to have the same opinion, if the sudden stiffness and wary looks were anything to go by.  
"I agree wi' the krogan," Silas spoke up, and Tali noticed his rifle was now cradled in his arms, "I don't like the looks of it Kol."  
"At ease Sergeant." Koliaan's tone was cold with steely discipline. "We do as instructed and wait for orders, no jumping the gun."

* * *

Avo Nid's resolve had been poor to start with and what little he had fled him at the sight of the turian buyer marching in with no less than eight armed and vicious guards.  
_This was_ **_not_**_ part of the deal.  
_Nid eyed the Blood Pack emblem that marked each of the alien's shoulders. "That's an awful lot of -Krrsh- vorcha for a business discussion." They'd only met once before and the client had been less than forthcoming with information, not that Nid had demanded any.  
"Save it Avo," the turian snapped, "we both know we're not here for pleasantries."  
The volus arms dealer held up a hand as though to ward off his buyer's aggression. "That's true, I operate purely for business."  
"And precisely what business is it you want to discuss?" the turian's voice was thick with irritation.  
Avo gestured to a selection of long, thin crates that were stacked neatly by the wall. "As I said on the message -Krrsh-, the shipment you ordered is ready. All that remains now is to clear up the matter of -Krrsh- payment."  
"That's all?" The turian's black eyes were suspicious. "You sounded anxious over the comm Avo."  
One of the vorcha, a horrifically scarred creature cradling a vicious looking shotgun, leered at the poor merchant.  
"It was a busy day in the business," Avo offered, more hastily than he would have liked, "after all -Krrsh- in this line of work there's very little I can trust to subordinates."  
The vorcha hissed at him before retracting its cruel, canine toothed jaw with a final snarl.

The turian seemed to weigh up his words for a moment and finally waved his hand at the boxes. Three of the vorcha went for them, quickly breaking open the seals and revealing the small, neatly ordered cache of weapons that lay inside.  
"It's all there," confirmed Avo, his hands unconsciously straying together, "used -Krrsh-, but immaculate, as requested."  
The turian eyed one of the powerful Striker V sniper rifles his escort were currently lifting from the box; "Undoubtedly," his slight drawing out of the word subtly shifting it from consent to threat.  
_He was far less impertinent the last time,_ thought Nid_, and he didn't bring nearly as much security_. Alarm bells began ringing in the diminutive merchant's head; you didn't survive as long as he had in this line of work without developing some instincts of your own.  
"I'm assuming you want it transferred to the same account as last time?" questioned the turian, an Omni-Tool winking into life over his forearm.  
Nid delayed for a second, distracted by the soft click as one of the vorcha changed the settings on his rifle. He finally gave an awkward shrug at the buyer, rolling his head as he did so. "Why change what works?"

* * *

Nid shrugged at something the turian said, rolling his head as best he could under the constrictive pressure suit he was forced to wear. The motion meant nothing as far as Tali could decipher but it straightened the backs of the entire squad. "That's it." Muttered Koliaan quietly. "Alright boys you know the drill, let's move!" His team was already in motion, the veteran Sergeant and reclusive asari already sprinting for the warehouse door. Paladin was seconds behind them, delaying only to snatch up his resplendent helmet and a weighty M-100 grenade launcher which he slung onto his back with ease. "The hell's going on?" Demanded Torr, evidently not happy at being kept out of the loop.  
Koliaan rounded on him with a glare, his own Tsunami V rifle clutched in his gloved claws.  
"The volus just gave us the signal to go in, you want to help be my guest but get in my team's way and I swear I'll rip both your hearts out." The Lieutenant didn't even wait for a response and sprinted for the door, signalling for the Sergeant to open it. The human did so and Nira and Paladin all but dove through, each covering one side of the street. A split-second later and blue hand waved them out; Koliaan didn't even break stride as he left, followed closely by the Sergeant and his assault rifle. The mercs disappeared from sight as the door swung shut behind them, though various other cameras on the console activated to show their movements through the streets.

As she processed the Lieutenant's very abrupt departure Tali wondered if, having both insulted and turned his back on a krogan, the turian had one of Torr's oft mentioned "_quads_".  
"Are we going after them or not?" asked Ren eagerly, weapon already in hand.  
Torr looked at him, appearing strangely non-committal. "Your call Stiff, you wanna go get this guy yourself or d'you trust these mercs to bring him in for you?"  
"No more than they would us."  
"Hey c'mon man, we're not all that bad." Protested Rola, somehow managing to overhear their conversation despite being busy feeding information to his fellow mercs.  
Torr ignored him and grinned at Ren, pulling his shotgun into his hands where the monstrous weapon managed to look like a toy next to his huge fingers. "Good," he declared, all hesitance gone, "then let's go score us a turian."

Tali quickly swung her own weapon into her hands, feeling a sudden, unexpected thrill run through her as the trio ran to the door. She was afraid, yes, but overpowering that was an excitement, a burst of energy that rushed through her veins and made her heady with anticipation. _Perhaps this was what Ren meant_. She looked at him, noticing how his stride had taken on a determination that she hadn't seen since he'd taken command back on the _Tarmeena_. She could almost see the steely glare in his eyes and the set of his jaw under his ever present helmet. Torr towered at his side, old muscles coming alive once more at the intoxicating scent of combat. A fire burned in his golden eyes and his mouth was split wide with a ferocious grin of anticipation. _Or perhaps it's just walking into a dangerous situation knowing that people like this have your back._ At that moment, the young engineer couldn't imagine how anyone could possibly feel afraid with friends like these at their side.

The door had swung shut after the mercs had left and Torr fairly ripped the metal from its rusty hinges pulling it open again. He ducked under the low lintel, almost scraping it with his hump, and stormed out into the street, leaving Ren and Tali struggling to close their mouths again following this display of power.  
"Hey!" a voice called them from the centre of the warehouse, "make sure you're on our channel," Rola tapped his headpiece, "encryption pattern is Aleri-Pallen-17-Lin-12."  
Ren nodded and quickly calibrated his comms unit, gesturing for Tali to do the same only to find she'd already done so.  
"C'mon," she urged, nearly dancing from foot to foot with nervous energy, "let's go catch Torr before he hurts himself."


	10. Chapter 10: Purely Business

**Chapter 10 - Purely Business  
**The two quarians raced outside to find Torr already making his way down the street, the murky forms of the Blue Suns mercenary team just visible in the darkness ahead of him. Ren and Tali sprinted to catch their mentor, forming up on either side of him as usual.  
"I hope those mercs don't charge in before we get there." Warned Ren, glancing uneasily at the distance between them; if they went in now, it was likely things could already be over by the time their trio arrived.  
Torr's pace seemed to increase with every step. "Look at 'em Stiff, I don't think that Lieutenant of theirs in being paid to wait around."

Sure enough the squad of mercenaries were wasting no time. They were currently clustered around another warehouse, one of the countless such nearby. Patched into their frequency courtesy of Jmon, Tali could hear the Lieutenant's voice over her comms unit.  
"Rola, give me a sitrep."  
"Largely unchanged eltee, Avo and our turian still seem to be playing happy families in there."  
Tali could all but smell the impatience in the turian's voice. "Anything near the entrances?"  
"Most of the vorcha are still playing with the kit, they're in the centre. One of the bodyguards is keeping an eye on them. You've got one vorcha at the north entrance and the turian's keeping one near him, a few yards from the south."  
"And Nid?"  
"With the turian, near the south. His krogan bodyguard is with him."

"Alright..." Koliaan was silent while he processed this information for a second and even through a comm unit, Tali could almost see the cogs whirring in his head. "Silas, you think you can handle the north entrance yourself?"  
"Quick n' quiet." The Sergeant responded confidently. "I'll deal wi' my boy, lay down some suppressive for ya."  
"Alright, do it." Ahead, one of the shadows that crouched near the warehouse suddenly broke off and moved north, heading around the other side of the building.  
"You two are with me. Pal, you cover me while I extract Nid, keep them busy. Nira, assist as you see fit but try to keep the turian pinned. Nid wants him alive and I intend to deliver."  
A soft blue glow of acknowledgement flashed for half a second in the gloom.  
"He won't be going anywhere." The cool ice in the asari's tone sent an involuntary shiver through Tali.  
"The bodyguards?" questioned Rola.  
"Expendable." Koliaan's words brokered no argument. "They're on Avo's payroll and if they're unlucky enough to get caught in the middle of this that's their problem."  
"Team comes first." responded Silas.  
"Team comes first;" agreed the Lieutenant, "alright, stack up, breach and clear." The dark forms of the mercenaries melted into the shadows as they pressed themselves up against the door. "We go in on my signal. Silas, in position?"  
A solitary click of acknowledgement sounded across the frequency and Tali immediately thought of Bardi. _Keelah I wish you were here.  
_"On my go...3..."

"All teams hold, I repeat all teams hold." Rola's excited voice cut into the countdown and Tali slowed as if to do so, then promptly sped up again when she noticed Ren and Torr didn't pay the order any heed.  
"Nid is moving, I say again, Nid is moving...looks like he's going toward the north entrance."  
The silence from the batarian's squad mates was deafening. Ren understood instantly and he informed his companions, being careful to mute his mike from the mercenaries.  
"That's shot things up bad, Silas is alone, there's no way he can cover himself and Nid now and if they try to reposition it could well be too late."  
Torr broke into a loping run, an act that was surprisingly quieter than Tali had expected. The krogan's unmistakably gruff tone filled the speakers. "We've got this. Stick to your plan Lieutenant, your Sergeant will have his support."  
Though she could sense his reluctance Tali was relieved when the turian responded without immediate complaint. "Understood Torr, move quick, we assault in ten whether you're in place or not."

The trio was there in seven, with Torr and Silas sharing a mutual nod that seemed to exchange something that Tali could only guess at. _Respect perhaps? Agreement?_ She didn't know and there wasn't time to waste thinking about it.  
"I lead, you foller." Silas' words were clipped but steady, instilling a strange, quiet confidence in the inexperienced engineer. "Take up positions and lay down 'ard cover while I recover Nid." He fixed each of them with a hard stare and seemed to linger over Tali a moment longer than he had with the others. Likely he could see the subtle signs of her greeness showing. "_No one_ fires on t'turian, we need 'im alive."  
"We know." Ren reassured him, though a warning glance from Torr kept him from adding more.  
"All teams, standby. On my mark."  
A ripple of tension shot through everyone present and as one, each being involved in the operation focused their minds, shut out the diversions. Now, there were only the doors, the guns and somewhere, in the back of all their collective minds, the fear.  
"Three."  
Silas positioned himself in front of the door, worn assault rifle raised.  
"Two."  
Ren and Torr stood slightly behind and to either side of him, their own weapons ready in accordance. Torr's wide chin twitched as the dark slits of his eyes narrowed and Ren bounced lightly on his heels.  
"Mark!"

No sooner was the command delivered than Slias raised his leg and brought the heel of his boot slamming down on the archaic handle of the door. The flimsy metal catch snapped easily under the sudden force and it swung open violently. Silas' foot had barely touched the ground again before the Sergeant stormed through, darting right in a half-crouch as soon as he was clear. Ren and Torr followed him in, the Lieutenant's Lancer IV rifle spitting short bursts of death as Ren fired upon some unseen target. Torr was next, the enormous Claymore gripped in his strong paws. No sooner had the krogan made his way inside than the air filled with thunder and a dying alien screeched its last. Tali took a deep breath, checked her shotgun one brief, final time and followed them in.

* * *

Soft neon light bathed the fleshy form of Rola'Jmon in orange as he sat alone in his ripped and ragged chair, watching his comrades and their duly appointed extra members storm the warehouse he'd spent the last two hours monitoring. The comm frequency, normally his domain, felt strangely alien as the channels filled with battle chatter, excited voices clashing with strained commands. 'Mark'. A simple word from the turian commander and all hell had broken loose inside the structure.

Rola had watched as Koliaan led his team's charge through the narrow entry point. Say what you will about his ideals over discipline, but the officer was as willing to endure fire as he expected his men to be. He and Paladin had been the first ones through the entrance and their combined fire as they sprinted for cover had quickly silenced the south vorcha, the turian contact whirling at the abrupt disturbance, pistol already in hand. A dark sphere of unholy energy had rolled across the monitors from the south entrance, sending the turian diving for cover as the singularity ripped brackets and handles from crates as it tore past before landing directly in the middle of Nid's weapon shipment. On screen the vorcha had scattered, but not all had been fast enough. Two of the six were sucked into the roiling 'black hole' along with Avo's turian bodyguard, all three of which were now spiralling through the air helplessly.

The rest of the vorcha had regained their senses enough to quickly drop the helpless turian guard before focusing the entirety of their fire on his krogan counterpart who they foolishly assumed was the source of the entire attack. He very nearly made it to a cluster of heavy duty crates before a hail of rifle fire tore into his hump, penetrating both his shields and armour in a matter of seconds. Even on the grainy screens Rola could see the messy fragments fly from the krogan's back as thick splats of orange blood lathered the floor. The krogan swiftly collapsed under the unrelenting barrage; for all his race's bravado, he hadn't so much as fired a single shot. Fortunately he had at least occupied the vorcha's attention long enough for Nira to take up a comfortable position on the left flank with Paladin.

The second team, headed by Silas, had performed just as well, the old Sergeant leading his motley band of quarians and krogan indoors and into sustainable cover within a matter of seconds. Jmon had been pleasantly surprised to see the outsiders operating with some efficiency, the male quarian downing the nearest vorcha with a neat pair of bursts from his rifle as Silas risked incoming fire and made a beeline for Nid. The Sergeant was halfway across the room before the vorcha had begun to recover, by which time the quarian lad was in cover, the krogan had entered and dispatched a single shotgun discharge into the downed vorcha for surety and the final quarian, the quiet girl, was already joining him in ducking behind yet another of the shipping containers that littered the room.

Rola keyed his comm as Silas closed on Nid who, amazingly, had actually retained enough sense to waddle for the nearest available cover at the first sounds of gunfire_. Though the fact that he knew it was coming probably meant he could have a few points deducted from him_. Thought Rola.  
"Silas once you get Nid you have to extract him north, I repeat north. His bodyguards are already down and the vorcha are starting to dig in, this could get ugly."  
"I'm on it." The Sergeant's tone may have been short, but Rola knew it was due to concentration and took no offense from it. He reflected on how the Sergeant was the only member of the team to treat him with any real respect, even off-mission. Ironic considering his gruff, foreboding appearance. One pair of eyes always on the monitors, the batarian operator switched to the general channel to relay the Sergeant's orders to the outsiders.

* * *

The initial few seconds of the assault had passed by in a blur. No sooner had Tali entered the building than the chaos of combat overwhelmed her, training instincts she'd long since forgotten about coming to the fore. Ren had led the charge in, disciplined steps leading him to a sheltered position with such deliberation that the Lieutenant could have been going for a stroll. His rifle fired so often Tali's overwhelmed sense of hearing began to tell her he had his finger clamped over the trigger, even as her eyes watched nothing but burst after accurate burst erupt from the weapon's nozzle. It couldn't have been more than seconds before he dropped causally behind a heavy duty crate to let his weapon cool, the vorcha now one less and many with ruptures in their armour.

Torr had moved after Silas, standing tall a few meters behind the fast moving human, roaring with krogan battle rage and generally trying to attract as much attention as he could. The lone vorcha who had been guarding the north entrance had already been felled by Ren's frighteningly accurate fire and it lay helpless on the floor, writhing in pain as its life blood ebbed away. It had a split second to glimpse the shadow of a monster before it felt the full extent of Torr's wrath when the Claymore exploded into his torso; Tali was suddenly very grateful there was a slew of boxes to break sight between her and the poor alien.

"Need you guys to look after Silas while he goes for Nid." Rola'Jmon informed her, his thickly accented voice buzzing calmly in her ear. She had already moved up to support the Sergeant and, knowing her shotgun would be unlikely to inflict any serious damage at the current range, was busily in the process of re-calibrating her Omni-Tool. As the vorcha began to recover from their initial surprise and focus their fire on what they perceived as the biggest threat, namely Torr, the krogan was forced into taking cover. Tali, tucked away unseen behind a box of her own, finally found the options she wanted and spun around the edge of the crate, lifting her left hand in the direction of the tightly clustered enemy. A small, disc shaped device left her hand and glided over to the vorcha with such speed that the aliens simply didn't have time to react. No sooner did the proximity mine enter range than it exploded and three of the vorcha fell back, sabotaged weapons rendered temporarily useless by the sudden and violent overheating of the heat sink coils.

"Nice work lass!" Congratulated a delighted voice in her ear; it took her a second to place it, but she soon worked out it was Silas. With almost half the vorcha out of action for the moment the gruff Sergeant had wasted no time extracting his target and while Torr, Ren and presumably the rest of the mercs concentrated their fire on the vorcha's positions, Silas led Nid past her position in a half-crouch, using his body to shield the portly volus from incoming fire as Tali waited for her Omni-Tool to recover and swapped to her pistol. The pair shared a glance as he passed and the human's dark eyes reflected something back. _Gratitude?_ It was hard to tell, she was more used to reading body language than the emotions in people's eyes, coming from a race that hid theirs behind tinted visors. Too late, the moment passed and Silas disappeared through the north exit, ushering the arms dealer before him.

Tali put it out of her mind and turned her attention to the gunfight, now escalating as the effects of her sabotage mine wore off. Waiting for a break in Ren's fire as old training habits dictated, the quarian engineer poked her head around enough to squeeze off a few rounds from her pistol, ducking back again as answering fire came a little too close for comfort. 87% read her shields. To her right, Torr was filling the carnivorous building with echo after echo of thunder as his shotgun roared and bucked in his brawny arms.

_Y'know, I'm surprised how well you're adapting to this, _the pilgrim told herself, _must have more of your father in you than you thought._

* * *

The well organised, concentrated fire from the attacking forces had driven the turian back toward the relative safety of his hired guards, although being forced towards the only source of serious weaponry when armed merely with a pistol wasn't all bad. He had managed to get back largely unscathed; although his shields had sustained mild damage they were steadily recharging and there was now a slew of thick, steel coated crates between himself and his aggressors.

He was smart however and it didn't take a strategic prodigy to realise his vorcha were going to lose this particular engagement. _Time to put an end to it._ A taloned hand reached into the hidden pockets of his grey armour and withdrew a small transmitter. A few short taps on holographic keys and the turian tossed the device to one side where it winked softly at him as though upset at being discarded so swiftly. The turian paid it no heed and turned his attention to the weapon crates, distracted momentarily by a loud curse as the vorcha to his right fell back behind cover, sniper rifle glowing a useless red with a sudden heat surge.

_They would pay for this,_ he swore. He would find them all, each person in this room, and they would suffer. _And Nid. _The turian's face twisted into a mask of fury. _Nid will soon wish he'd never come to this rock. _A lone bullet sailed overhead, startling him. _Escape first, revenge later._ The turian began rifling through the crate, frantically tossing aside gun after gun before finally coming across the one weapon he'd been looking for. A distinctive, oversized ML-77 missile launcher gripped between his talons, the turian allowed a small, decisive smile to grace his features.

Ignoring the bullets that whizzed around him and the snarls of his vorcha as they returned fire, the turian started shifting position again, moving further from the wall and closer to the attacking forces. He finally stopped, half laying, half crouching, next to one of the brawnier vorcha he recognized as the pack leader by virtue of strength alone. It glanced at him as he ducked beside it, oversized red eyes always seeming to glare with hate. It eyed the missile launcher.  
"For enemies, yes?"  
The turian nodded, though the exact opposite was true. "I need you to keep them busy, they cannot be allowed to leave."  
The hideous thing nodded and barked an order to his comrades, though few appeared to heed it. No matter, the savage, cowardly things were perfectly expendable.  
It said something back to him but the turian was busy muffling his helmet's audio and heard nothing, though he decided to grace the vorcha with a nod all the same. It seemed to delight the thing and it sneered defiance at Nid's forces, standing to unleash a reckless barrage of gunfire.

The turian wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity and deactivated the launcher's safety procedures. Raising the weapon in his arms and digging the thick stock as far into his shoulder as he could, the alien closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. A small shaft topped by an oversize conical head erupted from the weapon and streaked across the room, a thin plume of smoke trailing its flight path. The warhead flew past startled vorcha and threw itself against the wall of the warehouse, just above the crate of weapons. The resulting explosion was devastating, the initial blast of the missile enveloping the crate and sparking the sequential detonation of both the ammunition and the guns. Combined, the two explosions merged into one massive fireball that swallowed everything in a five metre radius.

Soft traces of the explosion still managing to penetrate his maxed out audio dampers, the turian opened his eyes to be greeted by a gaping hole where a wall had once been. Flames licked at the remnants of ammunition casings that littered the floor as he discarded the ML-77, picked himself up and ran straight for the newly created exit, ignoring the disorientated, agonised faces of the vorcha that had been rendered senseless.

* * *

The gap between Tali and the vorcha had closed with Ren, talented officer that he was, leading them in advancing their positions. Up here the cover was slightly thinner but it had given them a better angle on the alien's positions, the closer range prompting Tali to return to using her shotgun.  
"Head for the command post," Tali heard the Sergeant order over the comm, "link up with Rola. Go!"  
She turned to see the blue suns mercenary sprinting back into the warehouse, sliding into cover next to Ren with well practised ease, the quarian Lieutenant having already changed position twice.  
"You let him go by himself?" she found herself saying incredulously.  
"Only a short run t'operations," he responded with confidence, "and Rola's watching t'streets. 'e'll be sound."

Silas stood to loose a spread of rounds from his rifle and Tali found herself standing with him, suddenly inspired by his confidence. The quarian let rip with a round from her shotgun in conjunction with the chatter of his assault rifle, suddenly grateful she could remember how much they kicked when fired as the recoil rippled through her arms. To her surprise the shot caught one of the aliens in the left arm, no serious injuries but the impact was enough to convince him to keep his head down.

Abruptly the vorcha position erupted in a blinding white flash of fire and smoke, accompanied swiftly by a hungry roar and a boom that was louder than anything Tali could think to compare it to. The noise ripped through the warehouse like a wave, rippling through the stone floor and echoing off the metal walls until they shrieked. Even through the controlled audio environment of her suit the explosion rang soundly in the quarian's ears and the engineer shook her head sharply to clear the heavy fuzz that suddenly seemed to be the only thing she could hear anymore.

Instinct had made her duck almost immediately and as she staggered back to her feet, Tali counted herself lucky that she'd not been looking at the source of the explosion for more than a second or two; as it was, only a few darks spots marred her vision. Being far enough away that most of the explosion's effects had passed her by, Tali risked a glance at the source of the interruption, feeling her muscles tense with frustration as the indistinct form of the turian who was the cause of all this fled through the newly created exit. Being the only one prepared for the blast the alien had wasted no time capitalizing on the stunning effect it had on his opponents. His nearby vorcha however were taken completely by surprise and many now staggered drunkenly about the place, free hands pressing against their long ears, oblivious to anything but pain. The minute Tali saw this some strange, uncontrollable instinct took hold. Before even she knew what she was doing the quarian had leapt over the crate and was sprinting madly for the hole, slim legs a purple blur.

_What are you _doing_ Tali?_ Her brain demanded when it finally caught up with her body's actions.  
_Making sure that Bosh'tet doesn't get out of here without paying for what he's done._ She responded to herself, vaguely hearing cries for her to get back. Her brain tried to register them but the adrenaline wouldn't let her listen and the words slipped through her sluggish mind like thick oil. At some point she vaguely realised she was halfway across the building when without warning one of the less disorientated vorcha appeared in front of her, a pistol in his hands and murder in his eyes.

Tali's face convulsed as she suddenly realised the extent of the mistake her actions had caused and she tried to bring up her father's old shotgun, but time had seemed to slow and she simply couldn't move her limbs fast enough. Her opponent however, despite the blood pouring from his ears, was having no such issues and his arm swung up so much faster than hers, a terrible grin on the monster's face as it prepared to pull the trigger and fire the bullet that would end her life.

* * *

Paladin snarled under his helmet, trying to shake off the sudden concussion that was giving him double vision and making his ears ring. "Thought these tins cans were supposed to protect against that!" he growled angrily, shaking his head in an attempt to refocus his eyes. "Well maybe if you hadn't clogged up all the dampers with paint…" remarked a completely unperturbed Nira, tossing a biotic pull at one of the vorcha and managing to make it look disturbingly casual. The air around her crackled with residual static at the expense of the energy attacks.

"Lady I've said it before, but you scare the _daylights_ outta me sometimes." Admitted Jmon, taken aback by her cool acceptance of the teeth-shattering detonation that had just taken place.  
"Combat chatter _only_." Koliaan's stern reminder accompanied the sharp -Crack- -Crack- of the turian's pistol as the Lieutenant popped out of cover and dropped two mass-propelled slugs into the now floating vorcha's skull, the high powered rounds ripping into the flesh with unparalleled ease. The remaining five vorcha, despite their severe concussions, snarled with rage and a hail of wildly inaccurate gunfire struck the Lieutenant's position, prompting the Blue Suns mercenary to seek protection elsewhere.  
"Covering fire!" he demanded and his squad poured it on thick, sending their opponents diving for cover of their own.  
"What the hell is that quarian doing?" questioned Nira, sharp eyes spotting a lithe purple form sprinting through the still settling dust cloud.  
Paladin gave no reply, caught up in problems of his own. "What does it take to stop these freaks?" he roared in disbelief, watching as a vorcha picked himself up from the near direct impact of a high powered shotgun blast, the sundered flesh of his chest already starting to slowly regenerate. He fired again but the thing rolled away with a screech and one of its better recovered comrades stood, a newly acquired Striker V levelled at Paladin.

The squad's support member saw it and immediately attempted to avoid the shot by twisting his torso but the vorcha, beings reputable for their speed and aggressiveness, was simply too quick. It fired and the distinctively heavy 'thock' of the sniper rifle filled the air. The human dropped to one knee with a low growl, his armour systems flashing and bleeping shrill, steady warnings at him as his shield gauge read 0%. Paladin reached for the plating on his right shoulder, fingers tracing the thin divot that had been gouged into the hardened ceramic. Fortunately for the mercenary the cushioning effect of his shields had caused the sniper round to lose most of its power and the bullet had been deflected by the protective shell on impact. It hadn't done anything to alleviate the quickly forming bruise however.

"Paladin, report! You alright?" A previously unheard concern was prevalent in Koliaan's voice, even over the comm.  
"Sonofabitch ruined my paint job." Responded the human glumly as his shields slowly came back online.  
A relieved chuckle that could only be Rola'Jmon sounded over the frequency. "Almost had you that time Pal, might wanna keep your head down."  
"Save it for the bar chunky." He replied tersely.  
"Incoming!" warned Nira, indicating a reckless, infuriated vorcha who'd burst from cover and was charging toward the two Blue Suns with a deadly looking flamethrower leading the way. She leant around the crate and fired as many round as her pistol could stomach at the alien. It jerked with each shot but, driven by hate, refused to slow; thinking fast, the blue skinned being launched a blast of purple blue energy at the vorcha, sending it crashing to the floor as the full force of the asari maiden's biotic throw slammed into its chest. "Need some help with this one!" Nira declared with cold anger as her overtaxed pistol flashed overheat warnings at her.

Almost immediately there was an answering chatter of assault rifle fire from the other end of the room that turned the left hand of the vorcha into a bloody pulp as it struggled to rise, sending it sprawling to the deck once more. Paladin, shields back to full strength, recklessly drew himself to his full height and loosed a single, definitive blast of his shotgun right at the vorcha's upper shoulder. The shrapnel tore gaping, ragged holes in the skin but more importantly, they penetrated the thin, gas filled spire of the flame pack that the alien wore. Its screech of pain became one of horror as realisation coupled by fear shone in its eyes. A hungry roar of fury silenced the creature as the pack exploded, bathing the alien in a terrible sea of scorching fire. It writhed subconsciously, the hot molten liquid eating through its flesh and dissolving organs in a cascade of excruciating pain. Within mere seconds of the explosion the vorcha perished, reduced to little more than a smouldering pool of fiery liquid.  
"Now that's what I call payback you ugly SOB!" Laughed Paladin, revelling in the violence as the stench of scorched flesh and bone filled the air.  
"The quarian lad says yer' welcome." Responded Silas.

* * *

Tali flinched as the alien's head exploded in a thick red spray and shredded remnants of its brain splattered against her environment suit. She grimaced and drew to a stop, turning her head aside, not so much to protect herself from the gore, but more to try and limit how many nightmares she'd have after this. Abruptly a hand thudded into her back and propelled her unwilling legs forward, straight over the bloody corpse of the vorcha. "Keep moving!" ordered Torr who made a beeline for the hole, the barrel of his Claymore still smoking at his side.

And so she did, her body once more directing her actions so instinctively that Tali felt like a passenger, a spectator to what had to be the most foolish thing she'd ever witnessed. The most conspicuous krogan that she'd ever seen was charging straight past an entire squad of vorcha, a very vulnerable and horribly inexperienced looking quarian doing her best to scamper ahead of him.

It all felt so surreal, like it couldn't possibly be happening. The vorcha, despite having one of their own cut down almost in front of them, were completely oblivious. Instead the stupid creatures were cowering behind crates again, trying to muster an effective response to the well placed shots that seemed to hit them from every angle at once. Regardless the pilgrim fully expected a round to cut into her side, a shotgun blast to accompany the fragmenting of her leg, a single sharp crack and her head to split into two. It was to her utter astonishment that she realised none of this was happening. _See? I told you so._ Her body seemed to be saying and Tali scolded herself mentally. _I'm not outside yet._

As if in response she felt her legs moving even faster, faster than she'd ever remembered going. The ugly hole drew ever closer and could feel the slight strain in her back as she leant toward it as if that would somehow get her through it quicker. Every second seemed to drag but in truth the entire ordeal was over in a matter of seconds; the sudden stab of pain as her feet sprinted over the sharp rubble of the wall jarring her back into reality. _We're out, _she realised dumbly as she and Torr stumbled into the dark streets, each miraculously unscathed, _we made it out! Alive no less! _She felt like cheering.  
"Go, go, don't stop!" Torr's commands gave the exuberant quarian something to focus on and so she ran, her brain slowly assuming control of her body once more as the driving instinct that had spurned her through the last few seconds slowly ebbed away.

* * *

Ren raised his head a fraction, just enough to spot Tali and Torr moving for the newly created exit, before a lucky wild shot chipped the corner off the crate that was currently serving as his cover. The quarian cursed and ducked back into safety again, listening for a break in the fire that seemed to hammer his position. No sooner did it come than he stood, sighted and across the room one of the taller vorcha spun, a cluster of neat little holes drilled into the creature's chest. Its hand clenched reflexively as it fell and a wild spray burst from the barrel of its assault rifle as the alien spun, the unpredictable field of fire resulting in the tagging of another alien through the calf.

The Lieutenant used the breathing space it created to glance towards the still smoking hole, just barely able to see the backs of his two friends as they disappeared into the gloom beyond. The remaining vorcha had regained their senses and closed formation around it, though whether it was for defence of their master or the need for an ability to retreat he couldn't say. Fortunately Avo's Blue Suns hadn't been as strongly affected by the turian's missile as the vorcha had and the mercenaries had taken the opportunity to saturate their positions. It had kept the disorientated aliens preoccupied enough that Tali and Torr had been able to charge after the turian almost unnoticed. Another shot sent him back into cover again with a heartfelt "Dammit." Unfortunately they had certainly noticed _him_ and one thing was now certain, with that many vorcha between him and the exit there was no way he could follow his friends.

* * *

Both the explosion and the further distractions caused by his expendable vorcha had given Avo's turian contact a significant head start, leaving Tali and Torr to emerge into the maze of warehouse lined streets a good hundred yards behind him. The two immediately gave chase, the quarian's youthful, adrenaline fuelled energy helping her keep pace with the long, steady strides of her krogan protector. A staccato of gunfire rang behind them as they ran and it was all she could do to concentrate on where she was putting her feet, expecting a bullet to catch her in the back any second.

_Keep them busy Ren, please keep them busy. And keep yourself safe while you're at it._ She didn't dare spare him any more thoughts; she _couldn't_ spare him any more thoughts, the adrenaline was overpowering and her attention was now almost completely focused on the dark form ahead. She could see vague flashes of his grey skin when he passed under one of the faint light sources and once she could have sworn she saw him look back. Torr was ever so slightly ahead of her, his monstrous form thudding along with footfalls that threatened to shake the very core of the asteroid itself. He must have seemed like some terrible nightmare creature, shrouded in the dark shadows of the poorly lit district.

The duo splashed through a large puddle of some unidentifiable liquid that was leaking from a nearby warehouse and Tali once more offered her thanks for the protective shell of her environment suit. They were slowly closing on the turian, his race's normally fast running speed slowed by the wound he'd sustained.

* * *

He knew they'd catch him eventually as blood loss took its toll and here, in this near deserted district, they would be free to do whatever they wished to him. His dark, pained eyes strayed ahead, searching for the turn off that would lead to a non-descript door, his exit into the next part of the district and with luck, the perfect obstacle for his pursuers. He just hoped blood loss and shock hadn't warped his recollection of the layout of these streets. He risked another glance over his shoulder, feeling another wave of fear wash over him at what could only have been the dark, threatening form of a krogan as it thundered after him, a solid black mass that spelt total oblivion. The turian tried desperately to put the image out of his mind and focus on his directions, the last thing he needed now was a wrong turn.

* * *

The distance had been closed to around 50 yards when the turian suddenly broke left and disappeared from sight. Tali, snatching her breaths in short gasps, put on a burst of speed and tried to close the gap, but to her astonishment Torr was still managing to move faster. The krogan had reserves she couldn't even begin to match and the retired mechanic simply charged down the street with a roar, shotgun cradled in his burly arms. Within seconds he had managed to reach the corner metres ahead of Tali and like the turian, disappeared around it without slowing down. Tali would have shook her head at her own slowness if she felt she could spare the energy.

As the quarian neared the corner another roar followed by a heavy thump filled her ears. _Torr_. Where she got the stamina from she didn't know but her semi-digitigrade legs ate the last few yards to the corner and she tore around it, shotgun raised and finger clenched around the trigger, subconsciously determined not to repeat her earlier mistake of charging in unprepared. Tali expected to see any number of different scenes: Torr with his massive paw around the turian's larynx, Torr standing over the cowering agent, shotgun barrel inches away from his tattooed face, Torr's wide foot pressing on the turian's wound as he pinned him to the ground. To her complete shock, none of these were anything close to what she saw.

* * *

Back inside the warehouse the firefight continued to rage, though with the loss of their employer and the after-effects of the explosion the vorcha were putting up less and less of a fight. Now only three in number, wounded and bloodied by the relentless assault from Koliaan's team, the aliens were clustered tightly around the hole the turian had made, frantically letting off rounds in every direction as the mercenaries slowly tightened their noose around them. They were almost at breaking point, Ren knew it, the Blue Suns knew it and most of all, the vorcha themselves knew it. Their return fire was less frequent now, more sporadic and certainly a lot less accurate. The quarian Lieutenant was grateful for the steady slowing of the pace but refused to let himself get comfortable. _That's how good soliders get dead real fast,_ his father used to warn him.

Suddenly the comm crackled into life again. "Rola to all teams, I have Nid secure here but you've got trouble." Somehow Ren wasn't surprised, things had been progressing far too well. _There's always a catch..._ "I'm seeing enemy reinforcements moving in on the breach, at least two full squads and they look well armed."

A minimum of ten extra men then, not good odds for his side. Ammunition wasn't a problem but these would be fresh faces, battle ready and prepared. His side meanwhile would be strongly outnumbered and fatigued, with nowhere to retreat if things started to go bad and far too few people to lock down all three entrances/exits without getting flanked. There would be no advantage of surprise this time either, small wonder Rola sounded concerned.

Alternately cursing the fact that he was a naval officer not a ground pounder and blessing the many long hours his father had made him spend at the range, Ren popped up again in a new position to drill a new set of rounds into one of the remaining vorcha. _Need to get this over quickly._ He told himself and risked staying exposed long enough to try and finish another of the cowardly creatures when suddenly the steady chatter of assault rifle bursts was broken by the distinctive, heavy 'thock' of a sniper rifle. Ren saw someone go down in his peripheral vision but couldn't spare the attention to look and see who it was. Still resting his elbows on the crate in front of him, the officer's honed fingers snapped off another suppressing burst whilst his eyes did a quick inventory of the final two vorcha. An assault rifle and a shotgun, which meant...

No sooner had the realisation crossed his mind than the hole filled with dark, heavily armoured forms as the reinforcements poured into the room, working as a tightly knit team to fire and manoeuvre their way to cover. Ren risked a single burst before an avalanche of gunfire struck his shields and forced him down. 23% charge. _Bloody idiot_. To his right Silas was grimly priming a grenade, the experienced Sergeant somehow managing to adapt to the new conditions with surprising ease. A glance left told him who had gotten hit as the asari biotic, Nira, lay propped against a crate, blood leaking steadily from the sniper round that had penetrated her chest. Her eyes, once cold and aloof, were now filled only with pain and fear. Paladin was kneeling by her, trying to apply medi-gel to the wound and fumbling with his Omni-Tool. The comm was filled with his desperate, frantic cries for her to hold on though Ren could barely make it out above the fusillade of incoming gunfire.

No, this was not very good odds at all.

* * *

"Torr?"  
The krogan turned to face her, fury stamped across his wrinkled features. "Damn turian's sealed the door." He growled, gesturing behind him. Sure enough the door blinked defiantly at the pair, a large dent in the top left panel at just the right height for Torr's fist tarnishing the smooth surface of the metal. Tali slid past the krogan and dropped into a crouch to examine the control panel. It appeared perfectly normal except for the tiny, circuit infested box that had been clipped awkwardly over the access panel, a faint smear of blood just visible in the right hand corner. The quarian tore the device off, scanning it with her Omni-Tool before tossing it away with a scowl.

"He's scrambled the security mechanisms, reset the entire thing." Tali linked her Omni-Tool to the door controls, tapping away at the keys furiously. "It's going to take me a few minutes to hack through the new firewalls."  
"Didn't think a regular door _had_ security protocols, especially on this station." Rumbled Torr who stared at the insolent exit as though he expected it to open simply because it was pissing him off.  
"Normally they don't, at least, not on an accessible level. They're hardwired into the programming as part of the default manufacturing design, in case any buyers ever want the option to lock these things; I expect they'll have been shut off when they installed them here. The only way to reactivate them is with a manufacturer's override codes."  
"He knew the code?"  
"Security protocols for doors aren't exactly of the highest grade Torr." Replied Tali, too busy to add that the miniature scrambler the turian had placed on the door had likely cracked the thing in a matter of seconds through sheer 'brute force' attacks.  
"Oh."  
A pause.  
"Then you should be able to get through pretty quick, right?"  
Tali hadn't taken her fingers from the keys of her Omni-Tool in the past twenty seconds. "Yes, though he's added a couple more firewalls to it now, courtesy of that little scrambler of his."

Now that they were away from the combat and the adrenaline was dying down Tali's awareness of her environment was returning. As her silver eyes flicked to the door panel she suddenly realised that there was a dark vertical smear across her visor, a lingering lump of the vorcha's vitals. She reached up and wiped it off quickly, not daring to look and see part of the alien's body it might have been. The horribly slippery feel of the thing sent a brief shudder through her and the young pilgrim abruptly found it a lot harder to focus on her task.

A hand landed on her shoulder and despite its heaviness the familiar smoky grey of her aunt's visor flickered through her mind. It struck her that she hadn't seen her since the Va'Seras. _What would you be thinking of me now auntie Raan?  
_"You sure you got this kid?" Torr's voice was short and she could hear the soft rasp as the old krogan attempted to replenish the spent air in his lungs. She also had a feeling he wasn't just talking about the hack.  
Tali shook some of the gloop from her hand, ignored the soft 'splat' it made when it hit the ground. "I'm fine Torr, it's not a complicated system."  
The hand withdrew and as her eyes flew over the security displays, making connections mere milliseconds before her fingers, the talented machinist felt more than heard him take a step back.  
"He's wounded," Torr offered, "he's not going to be able to build up much of a lead."  
Tali nodded as she swiftly bypassed the second of the custom firewalls and stood, waving her hand over the activation key. "I just hope Ren's alright back there." She confided quietly, an old instinct from her combat training making her take a position at one side of the slowly opening door.  
Torr gave a reassuring huff from his place opposite her, the faint light of the door reflecting a dangerous gleam in his eye. "Don't worry kid, Stiff knows how to take care of himself."

**Author Notes  
**Writing Tali's charge in here was a pain and wound up being a little more experimental than I originally planned. I've tried to capture a kind of "mentally detached from what the body is doing" feel to it but I don't know if it's worked or not; that'd be where you folks come in so now more so than ever, lemme know if I've screwed that one up. Also, being that this is far longer than any chapter to date I'm worried about the 'polish' level. If you see anything that needs a bit of a sprucing up, lemme know ;).

Anyways for all its challenges this chapter had been very fun to do and I've also ended up an entire page worth of notes while writing this chapter, primarily for things I'm going to be doing in various upcoming chapters, and even far off 'maybe' projects in the future. All in all, it's been a good week.


	11. Chapter 11: Pursuit

**Chapter 11 - Pursuit**

The ancient krogan and the quarian pilgrim emerged cautiously into a much busier district, filled with bustling factories as far as the eye could see. Compared to the silence of the warehouses they had just left the hissing and grinding of machinery that emanated from each and every structure was deafening. The high pitched whines as unidentifiable metals were cut down to size by high powered rotary saws seemed to assault the ears and Tali wasted no time filtering out the background noise in her suit. Torr wasn't so lucky, though the krogan uttered no complaints. "I don't see the turian." He remarked darkly, scanning the three directions they were presented with.

Busy main 'streets' through the factories lay directly ahead, swarming with workers and haulage vehicles from half a dozen rival companies whilst crudely fenced off back alleys led away to the left and right of the door. Torr was correct, they had no idea which way the turian might have gone. "Neither do I. Where do you think he'd go?"  
Torr shrugged tensely, clearly annoyed by this new delay. "If I were him, I'd go for crowds, try and blend in. That said, he could be expecting us to assume that and going by him being wounded, my gut says he's wanting to avoid crowds as much as we do.  
"So alleys then?"  
Torr nodded. "That's my guess."  
"But which one?" wondered Tali, glancing left and right at the poorly lit, heavily littered routes.  
"That," rumbled Torr, "would be the problem."  
His companion snapped her fingers. "If he's wounded, won't he leave a blood trail?"  
"Good luck finding it in this mess." The krogan indicated the small heaps of trash lying nearby, black with dirt, mould and sticky fluids. He had a point, finding any particular liquids, no matter how fresh, would be extremely difficult amidst all the filth, not to mention time consuming.

"I've got an idea." Said Tali as a thought struck her and quick as a flash her Omni-Tool reappeared. Flicking effortlessly through menus until she found the program she wanted, the engineer held the indispensable device at arm's length. As far as Torr could tell nothing happened and he said as much, but Tali held up a hand to silence him. The normally bare glass on the interior of her visor flared with faint orange light and a matrix of hazy lines began to cover the faceplate. Everything she could see lit up brighter, not enough to be painful, but enough that she could see much more clearly. Edges of buildings and objects were highlighted in thicker, more solid lines of orange, allowing her to move without fear of walking face first into a wall; in addition, a small group of orange spots began to glow amidst the floor grime just a few feet away.

From the outside Torr still couldn't make out what was going on and he was becoming increasingly agitated at the chance of their prey getting away after everything he'd done to help these two quarians to catch him. "Tali..."  
The quarian was crouching, running her fingers through what appeared to be the completely normal, if disgusting, slime that coated so much of the asteroid's floor. "I've connected the Omni-Tool to the suit's VI," she informed him, "it's made a virtual HUD on the inside of my visor; I've set it to scan for traces of fresh turian DNA in the immediate area." She stood and gestured to the indistinguishable spot of filth on the ground. "That's his blood, the Omni-Tool will keep scanning for corresponding matches and any it finds will show up on my visor display."  
Torr bent down, ignoring the stiffness in his knees, and with his nose inches from the supposed "blood", inhaled deeply. Krogans being predatory creatures, Torr's well developed sense of smell quickly confirmed her readings. He stood again and gave her an appreciative look. "Smart thinking."  
Her head dipped slightly in what he interpreted as being a bashful smile. "It looks like he headed east," Tali gestured down the corresponding alley, "there's another DNA match down there."  
"Let's get going then," replied Torr, gesturing for her to take the lead, "we've given this guy enough of a head start as it is."

* * *

The two trackers had been dogging the turian's movements for the past five minutes with no visual sign of him when they rounded a corner and found themselves presented with a new challenge. Ahead lay a hive of bustling workers and haulage mechs. Foremen yelled orders over the constant whine of machinery as workers ran parts from one section of the district to another whilst dodging the towering mechs that ambled along with heavy duty metal crates clenched between their thick grasping claws.

"How are we going to get through that unnoticed?" Tali wondered aloud. "Better yet, how did _he_?"  
Torr examined the obstacle ahead with haggard eyes. "The same way we're going to, by walking right on through."  
Tali tilted her helmet questioningly. "That can't be all you've got in mind."  
"Krogans aren't known for their complexity." Replied her friend. "Don't worry, it's simple enough in principle, though" he added after a moment's thought, "principle is a fine thing when it works."  
"And how often is that?"  
"Better you don't ask." The old mechanic replied, chuckling despite the situation. "Look, you've got the Omni-Tool on so you're going to have to act like you're leading. Shouldn't be too hard, I'll keep out of the way, you just concentrate on following this guy's steps."  
"Won't anyone question what we're doing?"  
Torr shook his head. "You'd be surprised how many people will ignore you when you look like you know where you're going. Think about it, our little turian friend made it through without alerting anyone, presumably, and he was bleeding the whole time; for us it'll be easier than wrestling a varren."  
Tali shook her head at his not so reassuring metaphor and tried to banish the difficulty of such an act from her thoughts. "So act like I know what I'm doing..." She blew out a long breath that threatened to steam up the inside of her visor. "Alright."  
"You ok with this Tali?"  
_Wandering around like I own the place? Sure, why not, I've already shot people tonight, what's this in comparison?_ Tali closed her eyes for a second, cursing the hyperactively wisecracking part of her mind and biting the inside of her mouth as very clear images of the shootout assaulted her. _This isn't the time to start thinking about that, go into a panic attack now and all of that, the shooting, the killing, everything...it'll all be for nothing._ Instead, the young quarian double-checked her Omni-Tool and stepped out into the open with a confidence she didn't feel. "I guess we'll find out."

The duo moved as quickly as they dared, Tali's eyes constantly scanning the ground ahead for more telltale indications of the turian's presence. Having the display from her Omni-Tool linked to her visor helped and every so often a glowing spot would be highlighted in the sludge that squelched uncomfortably underfoot, the device would then calculate how close of a match the new record was to the DNA sample they'd recovered; so far it had yet to drop below 80%. A sudden shout broke Tali's concentration and she looked toward the source of the disturbance to see the lined orange outline of a balding, pot bellied human in stained overalls hailing them. She tried to ignore him, and quickly attempted to appear as though she was in deep conversation with Torr, but the alien wasn't dissuaded easily.

"Hey there! What're we doing with a krogan on the premises?"  
He was only metres away now and it was clear he wouldn't be leaving without an answer. Tali turned to face him, thinking fast and trying to ignore the strong urge to swallow loudly. _Act like you know where you're going.  
_"Just uh, just showing this krogan around the place, recruitment hired him, f-for labour duties." It was hard to keep the quiver of fear from her voice.  
To her surprise he smiled appreciatively. "'bout time they did, we've been telling 'em and telling 'em we need extra muscle for weeks now." The grubby human stuck out an oily hand. "Foreman Rivera, look forward to having you on the team big feller."  
"Gorgas." Torr offered, taking great care not to crush the worker's hand when he shook it.  
The human delayed for a second, staring into the krogan's eyes just long enough to make Tali start to sweat, and then nodded to himself as though satisfied with something. "Well, I'll be seein' ya Gorgas, enjoy the tour." Rivera tipped his worn protective helmet at him, completely ignored Tali, and marched off back to his post to much whooping and groaning from his workmates. Tali, despite her instinct to get out of there, spared them a glance. Judging by the money that was exchanging hands, it looked as though they'd been taking bets as to whether Rivera dared attempt to shake hands with her oversized krogan companion.

"Too close." Torr muttered as the duo retreated as fast as they dared, the young quarian having to fight back the urge to break into a run.  
"Too close." Tali agreed, trying and failing to keep her thin fingers from shaking as she fired up the tracker once again. "How did he not see our guns?"  
Torr offered a shrug. "Personal sidearms aren't uncommon here, even in the workplace; using them doesn't go down well with the contractors of course so they're mostly for show."  
The pair disappeared into anonymity once again, blending into the shadows as best they could while Torr's intimidating glares drove off any further enquiries from overly nosey workers. They sidestepped to dodge a particularly obnoxious freight mech and immediately found themselves forced into an alcove by the sudden appearance of a small transport cart, the swarthy driver of which hollered for them to clear the way with much arm waving and obscene gesturing.

Torr merely glowered at the offensive alien while beside him, Tali frantically worked her Omni-Tool as glowing sparks of industrial machinery lit up the factory entrance beside her.  
"Torr…I think I'm losing the trace."  
The krogan eyes narrowed as he bent his head to examine her Omni-Tool. "What do you mean?"  
"The last match was only 61%," she explained, indicating on the display, "and this latest one's dropped to 48%."  
"Likely he patched himself up," Torr decided after a moment's thought, "and if he has, it'll have taken him time; he can't be far ahead."  
"Bosh-Tet." Tali muttered under her breath, stabbing with frustration at the poor device on her left forearm. "How are we going to follow him now?" she asked as the now useless orange lines of the tracking HUD faded from her visor.  
"Guess its back to natural means." he replied, tapping his wide snout with a single thick finger.  
"You can smell it?"  
Torr nodded, looking around and inhaling heavily for a moment before ambling slowly to the east.  
"Then why didn't we do that from the start?" questioned the quarian curiously, falling into step behind him. Fortunately this part of the district was much quieter than the rest and the krogan's sudden lead went unnoticed.  
"It takes a hell of a lot longer than what you were doing with that new fangled Omni-Tool of yours," he replied absently, "especially with the fact that there's only traces of blood in the air now, nothing solid." A chuckle escaped the krogan's lips. "Besides, it's a lot more suspicious when a krogan is wandering through crowds of people sniffing and snuffling like he's got a cold."  
Tali suppressed a smile at the vision of a krogan afflicted with a cold and, despite the severity of the situation, had to bite back a giggle when her thoughts continued on to krogan sneezing.  
Torr led them some way further into the dark shadows of the factories, pausing in a nest of supply sheds. "He's here," the old alien muttered, "close."

Tali felt hackles rise on the back of her neck and she pre-emptively drew her shotgun out, feeling its comforting weight in her hands as she scanned the darkness with Torr. In such close quarters the weapon would be devastating against their prey, shielding or no. The duo slowly, without either being fully aware of it, turned back to back, a small gap between the krogan's armoured hump and the quarian's lithe backbone. There was a sudden scuffling and Tali whirled, weapon pointed at the source of the noise. A small creature, fur matted with dark patches of greasy muck, scuttled from the safety of a small metal box to the shelter of an old, discarded rotary saw blade, squeaking furious protest at the two intruders all the while. She tracked it threateningly before realising the creature was harmless and a mixture of relief and annoyance ran through her. The animal's long pink tail wiggled at her as it burrowed into a box of scrap metal and she found herself wondering what it was called, she'd never seen anything like it before.

"Rats," Torr offered softly, somehow detecting her curiosity through the faceless suit, "vermin the humans didn't bother to exterminate before they decided to develop space flight."  
Tali shook her head at his widespread knowledge and stepped away, turning her attention back to the hunt for their elusive target. As her foot hit the ground a soft whine sounded, so quiet she wasn't sure she'd heard it. She looked down to locate the source of the disturbance, only for a massive wall of krogan to bowl into her side without warning and send her clattering amongst the scrap as the world abruptly exploded in a violent flash of brilliant white.

* * *

Tali awoke with a start, eyes flickering open to a blurry haze. Her ears rang soundly like a chorus of tiny bells in her head, the noise far more prevalent and painful than the last explosion she'd witnessed back in the warehouse. A vein behind her eye throbbed painfully and her head swam as her dazed mind scrambled to regain clarity.

She wondered how much time had passed. Minutes? Hours? Her eyes flickered over where she'd been standing before Torr had rammed her aside. Dimly she realised thin tendrils of smoke were still curling into the air, lightly blackened shards of metal scattered across the floor. She couldn't have been out for more than a few seconds then, which meant their attacker, _the turian_ she reminded herself, was still nearby. She heard a muted groan off to her left and looked, seeing the monstrous form of Torr slowly hauling himself to his feet. He looked none the worse for wear, though his movements were slower than normal; _I should have expected that,_ she chided herself, _the last few hours have to be taking their toll on him, krogan or no._

_The turian_, the machinist reminded herself as her brain started to recover again, _priorities Tali._ Her shotgun lay just out of reach so she moved to activate her Omni-Tool instead, blinking back a flash of irritation as the orange light hit her still recovering eyes. Her limbs were stiff, slow to respond and she felt like it was a fight just to get them to obey even as she began to key the device to scan the immediate area for life signs. As her deafened ears began to recuperate a faint scratching sound began to make itself known on the edge of her hearing. At first Tali tuned it out but it steadily grew louder until she couldn't concentrate on the Omni-Tool commands and instead reached up to check her suit's audio filters. As she raised her head she suddenly noticed frantic movement on the fringes of her vision and turned her head to see something she vaguely recognized as the distinctive angular torso of a turian.

Tali cursed her flash burnt vision and screwed up her eyes, trying to focus through a spotty haze; her efforts were rewarded as the turian's silhouette became clearer, the dark form scrambling over and through humps of debris in his attempt to escape in the wake of the explosion. _He was going to get away,_ she realised, _and neither me or Torr are going to recover in time to stop him._ A thought struck her, penetrating the chorus of bells like a ferrous slug. Before she'd fully processed it her dextrous hand was already keying her multi-purpose Omni-Tool, calibrating it to emit just the right frequency. As the turian tossed aside a final sheet of corrugated metal and began to run, the engineer raised her arm and activated the neural shock. The turian let out a yell of pain as the Omni-Tool emitted an overwhelmingly loud shriek, produced at exactly the right pitch so only his species could hear it.

The shriek was so painfully blinding that the turian's run became a staggering collapse. His hands clamped over the sides of his head and he staggered for a few yards, trying desperately to regain his balance, before his foot caught a nondescript power flux coil. He twisted and fell sideways with a cry, landing on the door of one of the supply sheds and promptly crashing straight through, almost tearing the rusted thing from its hinges in his wake. Tali watched the whole scene with surprise. She'd only received a basic understanding of the neural shock in pre-Pilgrimage training and, having a better affinity for machines than organics, hadn't really bothered to pay too much attention to it. The fact that she'd even recalled the right calibrations for it to affect a turian, especially considering her current condition, astounded her.

A shadow fell over her and the she looked up, hand reaching to take hold of Torr's before her brain had caught up with the action. The old krogan hauled her to her feet roughly and after quickly looking her up and down to check for injuries, shook his head. "I really hate wiseasses who think a tech mine is gonna stop a krogan."  
Despite it all, Tali managed a weak smile, though as usual the gesture went unnoticed. Still, it felt good to still be able to find humour in these situations.  
"Nice work with the turian by the way, now how about we go finish the job?"  
Tali snatched up her fallen Storm III and nodded agreement. "Right behind you."  
He led the way unhurried and moving with an almost casual sense of purpose; the turian now had absolutely nowhere to go. As they moved closer Tali became aware of an ache that hadn't been there before coursing through her limbs. _It was fatigue_, she decided, and it made sense. She'd been using muscles she'd forgotten about ever since her training and while the ache was light, it was also enough to provoke the engineer into making a silent promise to herself to work those muscles more. _Especially if I'm going to be hanging around with_ you she decided, glancing at Torr.

As they neared the shed he motioned for her to get behind him and this time she didn't argue. Standing well away from the entrance, Torr stretched out his arm and threw open the half-broken door, yanking the limb back as the battered metal swung limply on one hinge. Almost immediately the door erupted in a barrage of panicked gunfire, the rounds tearing glowing holes in the flimsy material. The shots were wild, both ineffective and inaccurate and after a few seconds they stopped coming, the faint beeping of an overheated weapon just audible. "My turn." Whispered Torr and before Tali could respond, spun around the corner and unleashed a single blast from his devastating claymore at chest height. The mass propelled shards tore straight through the corrugated metal of the back wall and embedded themselves in the wall opposite, the furious bellow of the weapon causing Tali to glance nervously to one side, terrified that someone would come running. Fortunately it seemed the sounds of the heavy factory machinery had swallowed up the disturbance. To her surprise she heard a yelp from the inside of the supply shed, followed by a cry as Torr stormed in and something crashed against the sides of the tiny structure with a resounding clang.

She entered the shed to find the turian cowering against the far wall, his pistol lying discarded on the floor where Torr had thrown it and a brutally bent assault rifle soon followed it. The krogan may have had the slippery alien well in hand but Tali kept him in her sights all the same.  
"Wh-what do you want?" demanded the turian, eyes darting from one to the other. She noticed his mandibles seemed to be drooping and his head crest lay flat. _Signs of his neural disorientation perhaps?  
_"I wanna know why you're trying to kill my friend here." Replied Torr, jerking his head to indicate Tali.  
The turian tracked to her and Tali watched him carefully, marking every aspect of his face and body language. Nothing showed. No recognition, no guilt, nothing. "Never seen her before in my life." He declared.  
Torr edged the shotgun closer. "I think you're talking bull, and Krovak Torr doesn't like being lied to."  
"Torr, I think he's telling the truth." Tali spoke hesitantly, not wanting to undermine the interrogation but not wanting to see the turian suffer unjustly, despite what he'd done. _Wouldn't it be justified if he did? _She asked herself._ Perhaps. _Her thoughts strayed back to the innocent pilgrims that had perished so violently aboard the _Tarmeena_. _No. I promised to live my life the best I can for those who died, how can I honour that by going against everything our people stand for?  
_Torr glanced questioningly at her, his left eye finding her while his right remained trained on their captive. She could only back up her words with a nod which thankfully, her friend seemed to accept, albeit somewhat unwillingly.  
"What about the _Tarmeena_ then," Torr tried, "what do you know about that?"  
Though the turian remained silent his eyes widened slightly and his jaw mandibles flickered almost imperceptibly. Tali almost missed it but incredibly, Torr caught it too.  
"Ah, now _that_ he knows."  
"_Chakkar!_" The turian snarled and spat at the krogan's feet. "You'll get nothing from me."  
Torr inhaled deeply. "So, that's how you wanna play it."  
Before either Tali or the turian had time to process what he meant the behemoth krogan had brought his foot crashing down on the turian's shin which gave way with a horrifying 'crack'.

The turian's resolve crumbled and a blood curdling scream escaped him; Tali turned her head and winced reflexively. Turians had a notoriously strong skeletal structure and Torr had just made it look as brittle as one of the _Rayya's_ coolant coils. "You got anything to say to me now, scum?" the krogan demanded. To Tali's amazement he offered nothing, his entire body rigid with pain. "I…I can't," he managed, sharp breaths accompanying every word, "they'll know, and they'll kill me."  
"What makes you think I won't?" Torr growled.  
"I…I can't." The turian seemed to shrink slightly, constricting himself into the corner as much as he could. "I just, I just can't."  
Torr blew a hot sigh from his nostrils and slowly stepped back, rolling his thick shoulder muscles.  
Tali glanced up at him, suddenly very perturbed by the dangerous gleam in his eyes. _Breaking his leg wasn't enough?_ "Torr?"  
"Enough screwing around." Declared the old krogan. His oversize paw darted forward before anyone had a chance to react and before the turian knew what was happening he found himself hoisted aloft by the back of his carapace armour. He screeched with pain and rage, alternately cursing and begging to be let loose. Torr paid him absolutely no heed and instead ripped open the tattered door to the turian's makeshift hidey hole, dragging the struggling alien out behind him.  
Tali followed after them hesitantly, shotgun dangling forgotten from her hand. "Torr!" _What is he thinking? Everyone in this district is going t-oh Keelah._

Torr threw open the door to the nearest factory and dragged the squirming turian behind him by the scruff of the neck, all discreetness completely gone. Tali chased after him, burying an urge to run the other way. Whatever Torr was doing might be insane, but she had no choice but to trust him after everything he'd done for her. Outraged and fearful cries erupted all around them as the krogan barged inside, hauled his captive onto a small catwalk infested with control machinery and threw him down against the harsh metal like a discarded plaything. The turian let loose a shriek of pain as his leg bashed against the floor and he clutched at the fracture with his good arm, looking up with pained eyes to see Tali stood over him, shotgun barrel covering his every move. Her finger rested lightly on the trigger and she didn't dare look at the nearby factory workers, no matter how much they yelled and screamed. Broken leg or no he'd gotten away once, she wasn't about to let it happen again.

Behind her, Torr was embroiled in a heated argument with the local foreman.  
"Who do you think you are? You can't just barge in he-"  
"Get the hell out."  
The batarian blanched. "What?"  
Torr stepped closer, leant right into the alien's face and grabbed him by the collar.  
"I said," he responded, dragging his words as though they'd make more sense that way, "get out."  
The batarian stared at him for a second, taking in the krogan's massive size, vicious shotgun and above all, the resolute you-really-don't-want-to-be-here look in his eyes. Finally the four eyed alien nodded and as Torr released him, edged for the exit, nervously ordering what remained of the staff to do the same. "I'm calling security," he warned Torr as he left, "they'll be here in minutes."  
Torr simply stood atop the catwalk and glowered at him, utterly unperturbed. "So call 'em." He replied dismissively, his words marred by machinery that whirred and whined obstinately in the background. By the time Torr turned around the foreman had fled, the large rolling freight door already sliding shut behind him. Back on the catwalk, the turian had cautiously braced his back against the rusted yellow railing, an uncertain Tali'Zorah hovering above him.

"Tali, you think you can work those controls?"  
Tali glanced toward the console, her encyclopaedic knowledge of engineering devices quickly analysing the various levers and switches. "Yes, I think so."  
Torr nodded approvingly, never taking his eyes from the turian's. "Go fire up those laser cutters on the conveyor would you?"  
The quarian's silver eyes flickered to the high powered and frighteningly deadly laser emitters. Used to finely shave edges from near complete items, be they walls, gems or mining minerals, the lasers were normally hidden behind specially designed cases of shielded glass and metal, though these ones had no such thing. Tali could only assume that being Omega, usual safety standards were happily ignored. At Torr's behest she moved toward the console, though with some reluctance; she had a good idea of what her krogan friend was thinking and it was not something she wanted to even witness, much less partake in. Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Torr gestured out to the emitters, though the motion was scarcely needed, the turian's eyes already fixed on the deadly construction tools.  
"You see those?" Torr's voice was casual, so cool in fact that he could easily have been discussing the current condition of the weather. "You know what they do?"  
The turian's expression as he looked skyward was answer enough.  
"You don't tell me what I want to know, you and those emitters will be getting real friendly, real fast."  
His captive didn't reply, perhaps couldn't. He simply closed his eyes, head tilted toward the dull grey of the ceiling as if he wanted it to collapse on him.  
Torr waited for a moment then looked to Tali. "Fire 'em up kid."

Tali reached for the lever obediently and as her hand closed around the hard plastic grip she prepared to pull it down, then hesitated.  
"Torr...I don't think I can do this. This is wrong." Watching Torr breaking the turian's leg had been terrible enough and there had been nothing she could have done about it but this…this she couldn't have on her conscience.  
"Pull the lever Tali!" Torr's voice was filled with a rage that petrified the young engineer but to her own amazement, she found herself stepping away from the console, hands upraised in a gesture of surrender.  
"I won't do this, I _can't_ do this." She continued to step back, shaking her head slowly.  
Torr snarled in frustration and expended some of it by driving a fist into the turian's wounded shoulder. The turian came out of his horrified revere with a gasp and fell back onto the cold floor as Torr left him, storming across the warehouse to activate the controls himself. He glared at Tali as he threw the switch, claymore trained on the writhing turian with his free hand. "I'm doing this for you." he growled as he passed her, grabbing hold of their prisoner once more and dragging him roughly to one of the industrial grade laser cutters that had just sprung to life. "You've had two chances so far," he informed the terrified turian, "most krogans don't give firsts never mind thirds. If Krovak Torr doesn't find out what he wants to know this time, we'll see how hot that metallic carapace of yours can get when it's superheated to 5,000 degrees."

The turian flinched as Torr pressed him up against the suddenly very fragile looking catwalk railing. "Please, please I…"  
"Yes?" Torr prompted expectantly.  
"I CAN'T!" the turian yelled again, eyes wild with terror.  
"Wrong answer." His captive barely had time to yelp before Torr slung him over the railing with frightening ease, the turian letting loose a howl as he hit the conveyor. A second later the entire belt shook as Torr crashed down beside him, crouching slightly to maintain his balance. The turian tried to scramble away but his wounds hampered him and the krogan, leaving deep indents in the wake of each step, pulled the smaller alien closer to the deadly laser cutters. The turian was screeching, pleading but his cries fell on deaf ears. Still standing on the conveyor, Tali turned her back and dampened her sound filters pre-emptively as bile rose in her throat. _This is all wrong. So very wrong. And I'm a part of it, I'm as guilty as Torr is. Would dad have stood by and let this happen? Should I?_ She glanced back and immediately regretted it as she glimpsed Torr forcing their captive's hand into the high powered laser; the turian's mouth opened wider than she would have thought possible in a silent, eerie scream. Torr bellowed something, but her muted filters caught nothing.

_What am I supposed to do?_ She felt helpless, a bystander forced to witness something she had no control over while conflicting thoughts and emotions assaulted her from every direction in a matter of seconds. She couldn't order a ten foot krogan around, either physically or morally. Torr had done too much for her to repay him like that and besides, this turian was responsible for the deaths of her people wasn't he? _Does that make it right? No. But again, what do I do?_

_Torr was right, _she realised,_ this place corrupts you._

Behind the conflicted quarian, the turian, now minus one of the two fingers of his right hand, was begging, screaming even, for mercy. Torr was snarling, close to succumbing to a krogan blood rage and tearing the little runt limb from limb. "You play games with me again and these," he banged his fist against the 'fins' atop the turian's head for emphasis, "are the next thing to get fried!"  
"Alright!" screeched the captive, sounding so broken and pitiful that Tali felt even worse for ignoring him, "Alright!" The turian's breath came in short, desperate gasps and he didn't dare look away from Torr's ferocious reptilian eyes. "Look I'm just a middle man ok? A go-between. I got hired to contact the volus, arrange the weapons shipment and collect, that's all I swear!"  
Torr stared at him for a second as though debating before abruptly dragging his captive's arm toward the laser cutter again. "I don't believe you."  
The krogan stopped just as suddenly when a hesitant voice raised itself above the whining machinery.

"What about the attack on the _Tarmeena_? Did you order that?"  
The turian looked up at Tali like he'd forgotten she was even there and glanced nervously at Torr who gestured for him to go on with a snarl, the mutilated hand inches away from the cutter. "I got ordered to set it up, yes." He admitted. "I hired Nid to find the missile but they contracted the batarian fighters, all I did was re-program the in-flight systems."  
"What do you mean, re-program them?" Tali asked, confused.  
The turian winced as Torr leant a little too heavily on his wrist. "We needed to make sure they'd do their jobs, and I don't think anyone told the batarians they were going after a cruiser. I…modified the flight control system to make sure they did what we contracted them to do, regardless of what they might have thought when they saw the cruiser."  
"You doomed them to a suicide mission." Growled Torr.  
"And they had no idea." Whispered Tali, mortified.  
"Basically, yeah." The callous remark was punctuated by a whimper as Torr squeezed the cauterized stub of the turian's severed forefinger between his hand and the floor.  
"You're a monster," she hissed, "do you know how many innocent people were on that freighter?"  
"This is Omega," the turian spat angrily, a sudden burst of fury rising in him, "it doesn't matter what you do here, so long as you survive."

Torr met Tali's eyes knowingly, that same hint of sadness present for just a second before it disappeared, buried beneath a hardened, purposeful glare. "Who hired you turian?" Torr pronounced the name like a curse.  
"I don't know," he moaned, managing to sound both pained and bored, "they kept the whole thing wrapped up tighter than a nathakk in winter."  
"I find it hard to believe you have no idea who's paying your wages." Torr's voice carried a deadly edge.  
"Look the most I can tell you is that it was a guy, could've been a human, young maybe but…mature."  
"No names?"  
The turian shook his head. "Most of our communication was through the extranet, we only ever spoke once, that was after the cruiser run was complete." He glanced ruefully at Tali. "Wish he'd have told me you survived that, might have been a bit more careful with Nid."  
"Anything else you wanna share?" asked Torr.  
The turian opened his mouth, appeared to think better of it, and finally sighted reluctantly. "Hell, I'm a dead man now anyway, may as well tell you."  
"Tell me what?"  
"I…wasn't too comfortable with working for a nameless guy so I asked one of my associates to do some searching. He came up with a company name, but he thinks it's a dead end, a front. I haven't looked into it yet, not sure if I want to now, but it's all I got."  
"What's the name?"  
"Korlus Shipping. They operate here, on one of the lower levels. Supposedly." The turian shrugged as best he could under the krogan's powerful grip. "That's all I got man, I swear."

Tali hovered about cautiously as Torr slowly released his grip on the prisoner, who drew his injured hand to his chest the moment it was free. "I ever see you on this rock again and you die turian. No questions, no warnings."  
The captive laughed bitterly, grimacing against the pain as his broken leg flared in pain from the slight movements. "I should be so lucky. You doomed me the instant you forced me to open my mouth krogan. They'll know, and they won't think twice about making sure I never speak again."  
The speed of the turian's change from being frightened to being resigned surprised Tali. _Maybe his kind adapt quicker. Or maybe he knew this could happen all along and he prepared himself for it.  
_Torr didn't so much as glance back at him, it was almost like he'd never existed now the krogan had what he wanted.  
"If you're going back to the warehouse you might want to be careful, there'll be an army of batarian mercenaries swarming around the place by now." The turian's parting shot almost proved fatal as Torr abruptly spun on his heel and stormed the few feet to the captive, shotgun clicking and clacking as it extended into the alien's throat. "WHAT batarians?"

"The ones I called in before I took out the wall," the turian managed, his words short and raspy as he struggled to speak around the barrel of the weapon, "I hired them in case things went wrong." His casual resignation had switched back to fear almost as soon as Torr's weapon re-produced itself. "To be honest I'm a little surprised they haven't followed you, might have to take it out of their fee."  
He chuckled nervously, small dark eyes darting about Torr's weathered face. The krogan lowered the weapon and as the turian began to breathe a sigh of relief, slammed the stock straight into his metallic carapace. Even from halfway across the catwalk, Tali heard ribs shatter rather than snap as the turian collapsed in a fit of pained coughs, dark indigo blood spewing from his mouth.  
"For your sake, you better hope they never showed." Replied Torr darkly.  
The turian spat a small gob of blood on the old mechanic's middle toe. "It doesn't matter to me krogan, I'm dead anyway. You kill me now, you do me a favour."  
Torr glowered down at him and for a second, seemed to think about levelling a final kick in the wretched creature's abdomen. As Tali watched, mind filled with dreadful images of heavily armoured batarians gunning down an overwhelmed Ren and the Blue Suns mercenaries, Torr's discipline seemed to get the better of him and he turned to join her again, slipping the claymore onto his back.

"Let's go kid."  
She needed no further encouragement and fairly ran for the door, opening it only to find a small squad of the foreman's promised security officers coming their way. "Uh, Torr? We've got issues."  
He leant around her to see what she was getting at and snorted in disgust. "We don't have time for this."  
"But what do y-"  
He cut her off by fully opening the door and barging through, having to duck to get his hump under the lintel of the frame. Tali wasn't surprised to find herself scooting after him, after everything today, she was beginning to get used to following the old man's lead.  
Torr didn't even slow down once they were outside, his steps leading his straight to the security guards. Tali noticed the sudden hesitance they adopted at the sight of him, she might not know much about reading faces and expressions but she could definitely spot the subtle shift in weight as they collectively lent back, their walk becoming ever so slightly slower as each of the aliens tried to make sure someone else reached the angry krogan first.

Torr lifted his weighty shotgun into the air with one hand and pulled the trigger with a casual ease, the action not even breaking his stride. There were gasps and screams all around as flak filled the air, chaos erupted as those nearby dove for cover instinctively and the security force broke and scattered, self preservation very suddenly becoming their main priority. Torr strode a path straight through the middle of it all, the wide barrel of the Claymore persuading the more foolish security guards from making a move. Tali echoed his movements, Omni-Tool aglow with a tech mine primed to temporarily disable a plethora of standard weapon frequencies should anyone so much as fire a shot. Fortunately in all the chaos caused by the gunshot and the subsequent casing aside of heavy duty supplies, materials and equipment most of the employees were too busy struggling to regain control of their plant to pay them much attention.  
"C'mon Tali," urged Torr as the pair made it safely to the end of the street, a very subdued looking security force watching them leave, "we need to double time it back to Ren and Nid."  
"I just hope we're not too late." replied Tali worriedly as they began to make their way back through the back alleys.

**Author Notes  
**Finally eh? This chapter has been a nightmare to write for various reasons; I've actually wound up writing quite a bit for the end of the story too, which is hopefully a good thing. Fortunately the next chapter should be much simpler to write, that said, it _is_ going to be another combat one and I'm not going to have access to a computer for a while so I'm giving myself at least three weeks to finish it. Also, while I am aware that Tali does not actually have access to the Medicine talent in ME1, and thus not Neural Shock, the fact that it is an Engineer talent has convinced me it is feasible for her to at least be able to use it when unbound from game mechanics and specifications.


	12. Chapter 12: Chaos

**IMPORTANT! READ FIRST! - Note to all, the character Bryar'Gerrel has been re-named to Ren'Gerrel due to general dissatisfaction with his name not sounding quarian enough. The story has been revised in accordance, sorry if this creates any confusion.**

**

* * *

Chapter 12 - Chaos  
**Chaos erupted in the battle-scarred warehouse as the black clad figures stormed the building, an arsenal of guns cutting a deadly swathe through the Blue Suns ranks. What had only seconds ago been the simple enough task of eliminating the last few vorcha had now abruptly been turned on its head, the situation rapidly degenerating into a desperate fight to maintain calm and stay alive. Koliaan was busy barking orders, Ren was stuck letting his shields recharge and Silas was resolutely holding his ground, somehow managing to drop two of the attackers as they attempted to flank him.

Paladin was still trying to cover both himself and Nira in between attempting to stop her bleeding; as Ren watched the human moved with a ferocious, nervous energy, busily alternating between emptying clips and canisters of medi-gel. The quarian was grateful he hadn't stopped firing entirely, they'd effectively already lost Nira's usefulness, another gun down and he doubted they'd last very long, in fact they were barely holding together as it was; there simply weren't enough people now that the enemy numbers had swollen so drastically and the sudden reinforcements were spreading the squad painfully thin. Where before they'd been able to pin the vorcha in one section of the warehouse that got progressively smaller and smaller the more able bodies the aliens lost, these new attackers had pushed out of that area and into the warehouse almost immediately and now threatened the group with various flanking routes.

Ren found himself wishing Tali and Torr were still here and promptly banished the thought. _If this ends up rupturing, better I'm the only one stuck in this mess_. A bullet flew down the side of the crate he hunkered behind, inches from his faceplate, though Ren was momentarily too angry with himself to notice. _What the hell are you on about you fool? You didn't come all this way on Pilgrimage just to drop dead in some bloody warehouse! What kind of an attitude is that for an officer to have?_ He could almost hear his father's voice in the lecture, or perhaps it was that of his old Commanding Officer.

A helmeted head shook in self-disgust as anger coursed through his being and a shield count quietly pinged 100%. _Doesn't matter who said it,_ thought the newly resolved quarian as he stood to cover an overheated Silas, _we don't die today._

* * *

The krogan and the quarian approached the silent warehouse slowly, their steps marred with trepidation. The last time they had approached it Tali had felt fear yes, but predominantly there had been the subtle impression that a strange kind of excitement awaited her within. Now, she could feel only fear and nervousness, imagining what horrors lay inside as she stared at the building's tarnished walls. The decrepit structure looked far more foreboding now, hauntingly silent as wisps of smoke coiled around the debris; the cavity Tali and Torr had fled out of in pursuit of their turian quarry now seemed to beckon to them like a dreaded hull rupture, a terrible black maw threatening to suck them into the deep void beyond.

Most of the journey back she'd been struggling to work out exactly how she felt about Torr, given his violent treatment of their captive and he'd seemed content to let her puzzle it out in silence, offering no apology or explanation for his actions. Though the engineer had been resolved not to speak to him until then, she found the more disconcerted she became, the greater the urge to say something was. Finally she could bear it no longer and when she spoke, her words came out in a nervous, halting rush. "I can't believe no one's around, with all that noise I thought we'd have attracted some attention."

Torr's reply was markedly flat, aside from his race's usual deep, throaty tones of course. "On Omega you learn very quickly that if there's a disturbance, you need to be someplace else."  
"And here we are doing exactly the opposite." Tali might not have felt like delivering the wry remark, but it helped the quarian dispel some of her concerns with the current situation.  
"Funny how that works ain't it?"

The pair picked their way cautiously over the jagged metal shards this time, the haste of their previous departure opposing the new prudence with which they entered. Vigilance was the order of the day as the pair made their way inside, Tali even managing to put aside her concern for Ren long enough to focus on her own survival. She hated how flat out creepy the derelict building looked in the gloom; shadows seemed bigger and longer, a great devouring darkness that could be hiding an incalculable number of dangers from view.

While warranted their caution went unrewarded, the warehouse was deathly still. Fallen corpses littered the ground near the hole, mostly those of the vorcha they had been fighting just over an hour ago. Their mangled faces were ones that Tali had been hoping she wouldn't have to see again. Scattered amongst them were a few bodies she didn't recognise. Clad in a full, helmeted suit of black armour and bearing no insignia of any kind, Tali's only clue to their identity was the abnormally high foreheads they seemed to have. Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Torr kicked over one of the nearest ones, face grim as it flopped lifelessly on its back. "Batarians." He growled. "Guess the turian was telling the truth."  
Tali swallowed. "Looks like they had quite a battle here." She muttered, eyes trailing over the multitude of bullet holes and blackened fissures that covered the walls. Torr inhaled deeply, his sensitive nose filling with the last traces of spent mass accelerators and the distinctive lingering fizz of biotic energy. "The vorcha sure didn't do this."  
"What do you think happened to Ren and the Blue Suns?" Tali hardly dared voice the query.  
Torr shrugged and moved deeper into the solemn battleground. "Let's find out."

* * *

The batarians just kept on coming. What was supposed to a 10 to 14 man strong unit felt like it had at least double that number in its ranks. They'd established a strong foothold now, manning the old vorcha positions and doing a significantly better job of utilizing them. The only consolation was that the vorcha themselves had been eliminated, Ren and Silas both having the same thought at much the same time: thin as much of the enemy line as quickly as possible. They'd managed to stagger their shots well enough to drop the last pair who seemed just as bewildered about the sudden appearance of reinforcements as the Blue Suns, but retaliatory fire from the new forces had prevented either soldier from getting another serious attack in.

Even as Ren dodged gunfire for the hundredth time that day he had a horrible feeling deep in his gut that they hadn't seen all the batarians yet either. He tried to remember what he'd seen on the surveillance monitors; he knew that there were now three entrances to the building, counting the newly created hole, but only one could provide a fast enough route for an escape back to the staging area where Rola and presumably Nid awaited them. If Ren were the batarian commander, he'd have men covering all exits. Regardless of the trap that awaited them, he also knew they need to make a concentrated effort for at least one of the exit routes; he might not have been much of a groundside commander, but even he knew staying here would amount to suicide.

Apparently Koliaan was of the same opinion, judging by the snatches Ren could make out over the comms through the thunder of gunfire. He dropped into a crouch, fiddling with his Omni-Tool to increase the volume as his weapon cooled.  
"Rola we need options, now!"  
"South entrance looks like your best bet sir," replied the operator smoothly, "only three hostiles stationed there so far." An explosion to Ren's right drew the quarian's eye, where he glimpsed a large stack of crates toppling down on one of the batarians, the heavy metal boxes burying the alien and rendering his attempted flanking route useless. He felt an eyebrow rise in mild curiosity at the source of the abruptly created hazard.  
"'ppreciate that one kid." Silas offered, his breath sounding thick and heavy even over the noise dampers on his mike.  
Paladin chambered the next round of his grenade launcher and for once didn't have time for a comeback.  
Ren turned his attention back to Rola and Koliaan again, the turian's words accompanied by the sharp reports of his sidearm.  
"Copy that -Crack!-, get the evac bird prepped, we're -Crack!- going to need to make a hasty exit."  
Any response from Rola was buried under a slew of orders from the CO.  
"Silas, get me a sitrep on Nira and prep her for evac!"  
"Still...here." Butted in the biotic, her words strangled with pain, harsh breathing tainting every syllable. Ren spotted a faint blue purple haze next to Paladin and almost immediately one of the batarians lifted into the air, clutching almost comically at the netting of the crate he had been hiding behind as his legs trailed helplessly toward the ceiling. Ren wasted no time dispatching him, the mass driven rounds tearing through the exposed alien's armour like it wasn't even there.

As the corpse of the batarian plummeted and hit the ground with a solid thunk, Koliaan's orders resumed almost immediately. "Pal, get us some obscurity!"  
"On it!" Came the adrenaline soaked reply.  
Ren snuck a glance in the support gunner's direction, relieved to see him fully devoted to the exchange of gunfire. He guessed the human had already done all he could for the wounded asari, on a battlefield injuries were often dealt with quickly and sloppily, there simply wasn't time for detailed, more professional treatment. _Especially without a combat medic present,_ thought Ren, recalling that Koliaan hadn't mentioned any of his team being trained in such a role.  
"Rola, keep that quarian updated on what we're -Crack!- doing."  
"Very much aware sir." Ren responded before Jmon could offer a reply.  
The turian took his interruption in stride. "Good."

For all Ren's spoken confidence he could feel his hands tremble as he pulled the trigger yet again, trying to ignore the sense that he got lucky as his rounds struck a target and flared the shields. Following up with another burst was impossible as a grenade was sent spinning his way, an act that sent the officer dive rolling away, looking to put something solid against him and the inevitable explosion.

Ren found himself lying prone a few meters away, very glad he'd had the presence of mind to cut his suit's audio right before the explosion. The sudden silence was strange, alien even. Where before all manner of sounds clamoured for his attention: yells, explosions and the ever present din of gunfire, all the quarian could hear now was his own ragged breathing; it sounded harsher than he'd expected. His chest heaved in and out, pushing against the hard ground as his heart hammered in an unsteady, accelerated rhythm. The strain had been getting to him more than he'd realised and he felt a bead of sweat roll down his brow, provoking a curse at the inability to wipe it away.

The muscular quarian tucked himself back against a stalwart box almost double his height and half as wide, feeling infinitely more comfortable with something solid against his spine. Ren took a deep breath to steady himself and had to banish a fleeting urge to curl up and stay there. _Why are you having so much trouble with this? Get with it! _He knew the answer of course. He hadn't been trained for ground combat and he'd never expected to experience it so early in his military career. It was an entirely different beast from ship-to-ship battles altogether and though he'd undergone basic training and plenty of his father's own tutelage at the range, nothing Ren had experienced had prepared him for a full on fire fight.

The constant demand to be 110% alert of the ever changing battlefield, to be faster than the person you were shooting at, to coordinate your muscles and organs perfectly each and every time you fired just to get your shots even vaguely on target. There were a thousand and one factors the young quarian simply hadn't been ready for and as the battle dragged on and wore away at his body and mind, the task of surviving grew ever more difficult. The most damnably annoying thing about knowing how inaccurate his shots were becoming, the ever increasing fractions by which he was making himself exposed , was that he could do absolutely nothing about it. He fought the sense even harder than he oppressed the batarians and for a while he seemed to steady, but ultimately the nagging feeling won through and Ren lost out to the instincts that said he was fighting a losing battle on borrowed time.

A well placed shot clipped his head, causing Ren to jerk back and collapse clumsily amongst the battered, bullet ridden crates, his shields drained almost by half. He muttered at himself as he scrambled to his feet and blinked his eyes tightly, forcing the tired organs to focus. It didn't help that the batarians wore jet black armour that masked any feature that marked them as even living. It was an age old tactic and Ren, used to analysing situations tactically and from afar, had to admit that on a subconscious level, it was working.

As the battle progressed Ren gradually switched his attention from cursing his own troubles to focusing on the squad's frantic communications with one another; it helped remind him he wasn't the only one struggling, in fact even the apparently unshakeable Silas sounded tense. Fortunately Rola'Jmon was doing an admirable job of keeping them all informed of sudden threats whilst both directing Nira's ongoing medical treatment and monitoring the evac route. The batarian's directions were surprisingly calm, if a little tinged with excitement. Ren had expected him to panic under stress judging by what he'd seen of him before the operation began but now that he thought about it, it made sense that Koliaan wouldn't place his team's lives in the hands of someone who couldn't be trusted to do their job. Ren briefly wondered if the turian had made a mistake allowing _him_ to come along.

A bright flash off to the left drew his eyes, almost getting him killed as his target used the occurrence to his advantage and drilled the quarian with a spread that sent him ducking back into obscurity. Ren didn't have the breath left to swear and as he spotted the cause of the flash, the quarian felt his mouth drop open for a second. _Can this possibly get an-No, __**real**__ bad idea to start asking that question now. _Across the warehouse, a particularly beefy batarian was going through the laborious process of reloading his spent missile launcher, a blackened crater and scattered crates attesting to the weapon's terrible power. _That thing will tear us to shreds in seconds, it's already...hell, that's Koliaan's position he hit! _The realization hit Ren like a dreadnaught slug but the despair lasted no more than a second as a familiar voice kicked in over the comms again, filling the entire squad with grateful relief.  
"_Bashak!" _a raspy cough accompanied the curse, "Paladin, give me something!"  
"All set boss!"  
"Then get it done soldier!"

* * *

A harsh metallic chink that seemed deafeningly loud in the eerily silent warehouse caused Tali to whirl around, shotgun aimed in the general direction of the disturbance. Halfway across the room, his towering, animalistic figure outlined in the faint neon light that shone through the hole, Torr held up a steadying hand. The korgan seemed to be studying something at his feet intently. "It's alright," he reassured as Tali crossed over for a look, "caught something with my foot is all."

Tali stepped awkwardly over a fallen barrel to get a glimpse at what Torr was talking about. At the korgan's immense feet lay a small canister, cylindrical in shape and no more than a handspan in length. One end was slightly blackened as though the object had been forcefully discharged from something and at the other end various nozzles peppered the head of the canister; a small conical head lay nearby as though it had fallen, or perhaps been blasted, off. It looked like a strange kind of grenade to her, fitting her imaginings if someone had asked her to describe one, though it looked like it'd be more comfortable to fire from something rather than throw. Immediately she thought of Paladin and the weighty grenade launcher he had slung on his back as they'd left the building they'd been using to observe the meeting.

"Any idea what it is Torr?" she asked, not wanting to suggest something that might make her sound like an idiot.  
"Well it looks pressurized to me," responded her companion, "but using gas as a weapon is archaic nowadays, not to mention impractical. 'sides," he added with a sniff, "I don't smell anything toxic and I haven't keeled over yet either. Judging by the state of this place and all these lingering 'dust' clouds, I'd say it's a smoke grenade canister."

* * *

There was a second's delay following Koliaan's order before a staggered pair of distinctively loud chunks erupted from Paladin's position. Ren quickly seized the opportunity to use what little attention it drew and fired off a spread of rounds at a particular batarian that had been pounding the quarian's position for some time. The sand-grain sized rounds hit and the batarian dropped just as a succession of metallic chinks sounded, followed immediately by a forceful hissing. From two separate ends of the warehouse, clouds of thick grey smoke began to rise, causing the intensity of the firefight to lessen as the entire building quickly became swathed in the oblique vapours.

As the smoke curled around his position Ren began cycling through his suit's vision modes, the military issue add-ons soon providing him with exactly the option he needed. He switched to thermal and watched as the smoke became black and indistinguishable hazes suddenly began to glow a mixtures of deep reds and yellows. Fortunately the thermal vision preserved outlines and it was still pretty easy to tell the friendly aliens from the tall, muscular hostile ones in the newly shrouded battleground. Koliaan was giving the order to retreat and Ren was already moving toward the planned exit when his run was cut short by a barrage of concentrated gunfire. The force of the impacts added to his momentum and sent the lieutenant sprawling but he managed to turn his collapse into a desperate roll behind yet another of the ever-present crate and barrel stacks.

Ren groaned in pain and gripped his right shoulder, acutely aware of a dangerously empty shield counter. All around him the frantic yells of the surprised Blue Suns filed the air.  
"I thought that was meant to stop 'em seeing us!" Roared Paladin in fury.  
Koliaan was too busy conversing with Jmon to respond.  
"Must have...thermal backups." Managed Nira.  
Ren could have slapped himself. _Why the hell didn't I think of that? I'm using the sodding things! Or was... _he realised, finding himself dumped abruptly in a world of thick grey clouds as his thermal unceremoniously winked out. _Must've taken a round or been knocked off when I fell.  
_The wounded Lieutenant looked up to see a dark, heavily armoured figure approaching him through the haze, red lights of his shotgun matching the otherworldly glow from the four eye slits in his helmet.  
Ren felt his heart sink immediately at the sight.  
"Bloody Bosh-tet."

* * *

"Torr, I know I'm not exactly an expert but these batarians look pretty well equipped. Are you sure something as simple as a smoke grenade could stop them?"  
The old fighter shook his head. "Maybe it was to confuse the vorcha, before the batarians showed up."  
"Maybe," Tali admitted, "if there were any left at that point." She glanced about the room as if expecting to find an answer amongst the shadows. "Perhaps they coupled it with a tech mine of some sort, if that scrambled the batarian's thermals and the smoke obscured their vision..."  
"They should have been able to pull off some kind of retreat." Predatory eyes scanned the interior of the warehouse. "They'd probably have gone for the south entrance too, with the batarians having come through here, it would've been the fastest exit route." He glanced from the west wall with its gaping hole to the south side which looked as if it had taken the worst of the flak. "That turian commander of theirs didn't strike me as being dumb, he'd have wanted to get his team out of here as soon as he realised what he was up against."  
"Do you-do you think they made it out alive?" Tali's voice was filled with trepidation.  
"I don't know," replied Torr with depressing honesty, "and there's only one way of finding out for sure." So saying he led the way across the scarred floor and Tali followed mutely in his footsteps, trying to ignore the increasing dread inside her that the next body they saw might be clad in a deep crimson environmental suit.

The machinist felt her heart skip a beat as Torr drew to a sudden halt in front of her, wide frame blocking her view of what lay ahead.  
"Ah damn it." The krogan muttered softly.  
"What?" Tali demanded instantly, feeling sudden panic rising in her throat.  
"Nothing good." Replied her guardian, a distinct heaviness smothering every word.  
With crates stacked either side of them Tali had to lean to get around him, Torr seemingly unaware of her struggles. Brushing against his arm she turned sideways and worked her way past inch by inch. Turning her head as soon as she was clear, Tali felt her limbs freeze up the second she glimpsed what Torr had been looking at.  
"Oh keelah...no..." she whispered feebly, "please no..."


	13. Chapter 13: Flight

**Chapter 13 – Flight  
**An injured Ren scrambled frantically for his pistol as the batarian drew closer, knowing all the while that his desperate efforts were futile. He could almost see the confident smirk on the batarian's face as he raised an ugly looking shotgun and prepared to turn the helpless quarian into meaty shreds. _I'm not ready!_ His desperate mind screamed._I can't go yet I'm not ready, I'm __**not **__ready!_

Ren would always hold it against himself that he closed his eyes at that last second, his chest muscles tightening in anticipation of the fatal blow. He heard the impact long before he felt it, then suddenly realised it was the only thing he was experiencing, the steady thunderous roar as the batarian fired round after round after round. There was none of the expected pain to accompany the noise and his eyes snapped open again as he arrived at the realisation that no shotgun could maintain that rate of fire. Ren's dark pupils were greeted with the sight of the batarian's entire body twitching in an intense spasm as so many high velocity rounds tore holes into his back that the alien swiftly began to resemble bloody, perforated meat. The sheer power of the barrage drove the alien to its knees before it collapsed at Ren's feet, an unused shotgun clutched limply in its grasp. Ren stared blankly at his fallen assailant for a second, his brain suddenly working overtime to recover from the added shock of still being alive. He slowly looked up to see Silas, a pair of very taxed assault rifles clutched in his hands, standing in a thick screen of gun smoke that billowed about the man's armour. Sweat laden grey hair was plastered to his caucasian forehead and the long, jagged scar across Silas' lips was broken by the baring of gritted, yellowing teeth. Warning lights on the two assault rifles flashed an unsteady red as the cooling systems went to work and the heated barrels seemed to glow with the very essence of death.

The quarian gaped at the human, struggling to comprehend the image in front of him. He was unaware that his hand still scrabbled furiously for his sidearm, the stubborn weapon refusing to submit to his trembling fingers. The sergeant took two steps forward and tossed Ren's rifle straight at his torso where the Gerrel clan member managed to catch it purely by instinct.

"On yer feet lad, you aren't done yet!" he demanded, yanking the still recovering quarian to his feet. Ren reached immediately for his shoulder as his body came alive again with a rush of mild pain. His deft fingers quickly traced the damage and he felt his silver eyes widen in surprise. _It didn't penetrate. I could have sworn..._ he risked a glance down and immediately realized the thin, lightweight armoured plating on his bicep had deflected the shot up where it had merely nicked the curve of his shoulder. The wound was little more than a bullet graze but it _had_ broken his suit's seal, exposing Ren to possible infections. His suit's VI had already locked off the exposed area, so any infection he'd gotten would be localized and minor at best. It didn't stop the quarian scowling in annoyance however. _Still, could have been a hell of a lot worse._ He comforted himself and found his gaze flicking back to the almost unrecognizable corpse of the batarian. The young Lieutenant felt bile rise in his throat at the grotesque sight. _Very nearly was._

"C'mon boy, move!"  
Silas' order snapped him back into the present and the officer gripped his rifle with a new resolve, his previous fatigue no longer present for the moment at least. "They've still got us pinned through the smoke," Ren warned as he bunkered down next to the sergeant, "probably using thermal!"  
Silas nodded as bullets zipped overhead. "Leave that to the boss!" He replied, tucking his own rifle deep into his shoulder and raising himself on his haunches to exchanging gunfire with some unseen target.  
"What's he planning to do?" asked the embattled officer.  
"Just keep yer head down and get ready t' move." Silas responded then shook his head as Ren reached up to reactivate his thermal vision, wincing slightly at the discomfort from his injured left arm. "Don't bother lad, be useless in a sec."

Almost seamlessly Ren's HUD began flaring with warning lights as cries of fury and confusion erupted around the warehouse. The light indicating the toggle for thermal imaging had faded to a faint, gently pulsing red, an isolated error whilst the other systems continued to work fine. He had no further time to ponder the sudden development as Silas, shuffling off in a crouch-run as soon as the incident had occurred, was fast disappearing into the dense smoke. Ren immediately set off after him, doing his level best to keep the sprightly old vet in sight. It wasn't easy, given the human's surprising speed and the sheer amount of obstacles between them that often masked the sergeant from view, but Ren soon found himself stumbling over two figures he recognized. Paladin squatted low in the gloom, supporting Nira's weight across his shoulders. The asari looked up at Ren through pained eyes as he and Silas approached. Without a word the older human grabbed her other arm, eliciting a groan from the biotic warrior.

"Alright love stick wi' me, we're gonna get you outta this 'ellhole."  
Nira's only response was a muted whimper as the trio awkwardly stood and moved in the supposed direction of the door, though in the dense smoke it was often hard to tell where your own legs were. "Get our backs mate."  
Ren nodded, turning to place the mercs at his back and cover the rear. He tried to ignore the copious amounts of violet blood that fell from the asari's chest, streams of the thick, precious liquid glistening their way down the front of her armour. He also stopped short of registering that he was probably stepping in countless drops of it.

As they moved past the body of Avo Nid's fallen krogan bodyguard Ren glimpsed movement to his left and snap-turned to face it, the barrel of his Lancer IV tracking to his target. A single batarian filled his gaze, benevolent red eye covers leering from a mask of scarred black plating. Ren felt his arms contract reflexively at the sight. The batarian bellowed in its native tongue, the translator failing to catch the phrase, and swung his gauntleted fist at the quarian's head. Ren adrenaline charged reflexes sent him into an instinctive duck and the blow went harmlessly overhead. Without really knowing or thinking about what he was doing Ren swept his arms up and dove the barrel of his rifle deep into his opponent's lightly armoured gut. The batarian staggered back with a gasp as the air was punched from his lungs, his arm wrapped protectively around his torso. Ren drew the weapon back, thrust the stock into his shoulder and clenched the trigger down, drilling a devastating spray of rounds into the alien. At such close range the damage to the abruptly shieldless batarian was nothing short of catastrophic. Countless spurts of blood flew from his chest and splattered against the Lieutenant's maroon suit, the sickly green fluid obscuring the intricate patterns beneath.

Ren'Gerrel turned aside as his opponent collapsed at his feet and met eyes with Silas who, along with Paladin, had looked back at the commotion. Despite the situation the human flashed the quarian a grin that sent a wave of confidence through the younger man. "Nice." He mouthed over Nira's sagging head. Ren nodded thanks, checked he hadn't damaged his rifle's barrel and quickly strode after the mercenaries.

Quite how Silas and Paladin managed to find the exit in the midst of all the smoke Ren never knew but the pair not only found it quickly, the managed to locate Koliaan along the way; the turian officer appeared without warning out of the mist to smoothly take point as if he'd never been absent. As the door finally came into view Ren began to wonder how exactly they were going to get past the three batarians standing guard outside. He'd almost forgotten about them given all that had happened and now that he had time to think about it they were bound to be watching the door all the closer given the smoke and thermal interferences they'd activated; he saw a strange irony in that their actions to escape the firefight had likely turned a slim chance at escape into a complete certainty of suicide.

His unspoken question was soon answered when Silas and Paladin gently but slowly lowered Nira to the floor, the older of the two gesturing toward the door. "Your show mate, I gotta stay with 'er, try t' stop this bleeding."  
Paladin hesitated, his body language suggesting hints of a protective attachment that Gerrel hadn't expected the youthful human to possess.  
Silas stopped rifling through his omni-tool long enough to fix the elaborate helmet with a hard stare. "You wanna help her lad, get her a way out of here."  
Paladin nodded slowly once, then again more vigorously. Ren noticed the subtle straightening of his back, the way his five fingered hand clenched all the tighter around his shotgun. "The hell if they're stopping me." Was the fierce response.

Koliaan, angular back pressed against the wall, helped Ren overlook the rear as he once more opened the channel with Rola.  
"Sitrep?"  
"Standing by." Came the ready reply.  
Immediately the turian gestured to the door, drawing his pistol as Paladin stacked up alongside for a familiar breaching position. Koliaan pointed to Ren. "You too quarian."  
Ren blinked but turned and steadied the stock of his rifle against his shoulder, assuming a position symmetrical to that of Paladin's. Koliaan nodded approval and keyed the comm again.  
"Set."  
"Copy." Even Rola sounded tense now.  
"On my mark...Mark!" The hoarse whisper was accompanied by a faint cry of pain from outside that no one had time to process before the Lieutenant swung the door open and Paladin led the charge through.

As the trio stormed through the opening, Paladin swinging left, Koliaan right and Ren covering the middle, the trio of batarian guards turned out to be a pair. _No wait, there's the third._ Ren vaguely registered the dark lump sprawled upon the floor as the third alien, even as he and Paladin fired almost in unison. The human's shotgun roared, the quarian's rifle flared and both targets dropped like stones. _They_ _hadn't even been watching the door,_ Ren realised. Paladin sounded the all clear and Ren echoed the call, the act prompting dim memories of training with his old friends and fellow would-be officers back on the fleet. Koliaan answered by firing two slugs into the third target that lay motionless on the floor and gestured for the pair to hold position.

"Rola?"  
There was a second's pause on the line, then: "All clear confirmed."  
Koliaan turned back to face the door, hand still clamped over his earpiece. "All clear sergeant, double-time it."  
"Already moving sir, thermal's startin' to kick back in."  
"That didn't last long." Growled Paladin.  
"Long enough." Responded Koliaan. "We move as soon as Silas and Nira are clear."  
"Don't want to sound like the idiot here," began Ren, "but is no one else going to ask who shot that batarian?"  
Koliaan glanced at him, scarred and broken mandibles flaring with irritation. "Rola'Jmon."  
"At your service." Chimed in the operator.  
"Stow it wiseass." Threatened an uptight Paladin.  
"Just trying to lift the mood." Replied the batarian mutually.  
"You can make all the jokes you want once we get Nira out of here in one piece."  
"I thought Rola was the team operator?" said Ren, eyes watching for any hidden surprises coming around the side of the warehouse. Fortunately the other batarians seemed to have missed the loss of their comrades, at least for now.  
"He is," replied the turian, "doesn't mean he can't have another role."

Any response from Ren was cut short by the arrival of Silas and Nira, the sergeant supporting the vast majority of the asari's bodyweight. Ren spared them a glance as Koliaan pulled the door shut behind them, Paladin moving to support his fellow human. The biotic looked deathly pale, the usual indigo pallor of her skin now a pasty looking pale azure. Her sapphire eyes were starting to recess and her breathing, when audible, was horribly shallow. Even as a twinge of sympathy ran through him, the quarian couldn't help but wonder if the woman was already a lost cause.

"Alright let's go. Quarian, watch the rear, Rola, assist as necessary."  
"Don't worry, I've got you all in my sights."  
The words rang through Ren's ears and sent an uncomfortable shiver up his spine as he backpedalled to keep up with the group. _Does he mean camera sights, or has he set up with a sniper rifle? _His eyes trailed over the fallen batarian. _If Koliaan was right he has to be sniping, which would explain that noise just before we left the warehouse. _Ren's rifle muzzle swept left and right across the poorly lit street. _Can't say I pictured him for the job._

Two dark forms appeared around the side of the warehouse, charging recklessly into the open street. Almost instantaneously a sharp booming sounded from behind Ren and one of the figures dropped like a geth armature had landed on him. Ren's frayed reflexes caught up with him before a second shot could be fired and a chatter of assault rifle fire quickly brought down the second target.  
The pilgrim risked a glance behind him, trying to spot the source of the first shot but found nothing. i_Guess the batarian is set up as the sniper after all, and he's far better at hiding his position than I could have imagined.  
_"Looks like they're on to you eltee." Warned Rola.  
Without a word the entire group stepped up the pace, Nira's occasional soft whimper punctuating their footsteps.  
"Tell me you have the shuttle ready." Koliaan demanded.  
"Affirmative, Nid's already waiting for us. I've still got the cams linked to my omni-tool, if anything happens at the ship I'll know about it."  
The turian's voice took on a harsher tone at the mention of the volus merchant. "Soon as we're aboard head for HQ and the infirmary. Nira's looking bad." His cold appraisal of the situation drew a hard, angry glare from Paladin which the Lieutenant flat out ignored. Nira herself didn't have the strength left to take another step much less argue, the asari little more than dead weight in the two human's arms. Her breath was so quiet Ren couldn't hear it any longer and her finned head lolled alarmingly with every jolt of movement.

Ren had to turn and place his back to the fallen batarians just to keep up with the Blue Suns, though he still fired cautionary glances over his torn shoulder, unwilling to trust his life to the communications officer so readily. As the team sprinted through the dusty streets Ren began to dimly recall the various warehouses that flanked them as they progressed, the neon stricken buildings looking unsettlingly familiar to the deathtrap they had just vacated. The silence, save for the squad's strained breathing, felt threatening; it was as though everyone on the station had deliberately abandoned the area and left them to fend for themselves. If they were to die here, no one on Omega would be any the wiser.

Another peek back caused the quarian to slow. In the far distance an entire army of shadowy figures had exited the warehouse and after a second's hesitation at the bodies of their fallen comrades, began swarming down the street toward the Blue Suns. Ren wearily turned and simultaneously tucked his weapon back into his shoulder; he knew instinctively that they were at an impossible range but decided it wasn't going to stop him trying. Even as he shouted a tired warning to the team it began to dawn on him just how many of the batarians there were and how fresh they seemed to be. They ran at a pace that sent a shiver through his strained legs but he fired anyway and found his burst of ineffectual rifle fire buried under the much louder, much closer than before -Thoom!- of Rola'Jmon's sniper rifle.

One of the figures fell immediately and a very satisfied quiet declaration of "Headshot" sounded from somewhere off to Ren's left. The quarian risked a glance and saw nothing at first, and then something shuffled at ankle height at the base of one of the warehouses. Ren felt his trigger finger twitch unsteadily as the shuffling mass clambered to its feet and stepped out of the gloom, revealing itself to be none other than the squad's batarian operator.

Ren relaxed slightly but focused on keeping their attackers pressured, even as they scattered to the sides of the street in an attempt to better shield themselves from the incoming fire.  
"You're lucky I didn't shoot you." He remarked to Rola who flashed a half-hearted grin in response, easily falling into pace with the team despite his girth.  
"And you're lucky I was in the neighbourhood." His two pairs of eyes fell upon Nira and his normally jovial features darkened. "Damn, she really is in bad shape. We gotta get her outta here, like, yesterday."

Their turian commander opened his mouth to reply but was silenced by a pair of bullets whistling overhead, the sand grain sized projectiles leaving thin blue streaks in the air behind them. The shots were wild and whizzed past harmlessly but they were merely the precursors to an all out fusillade of gunfire that tore down the street after them and began to peck at their shields. Ren and Rola returned fire as one as the team collectively abandoned their cautious sprint in favour of an all out run of the last few hundred yards. The two rearguards quickly fell into a rhythmic pattern of run, turn, fire and resuming running as their weapons cooled before turning to fire again. Rola, despite the great range and their unstable running pattern, managed to clip another of the batarians well enough to drop their shields. Ren, despite his fatigue, had the presence of mind to focus on the weakened target and was rewarded by the sight of the onyx armoured alien collapsing.  
"Good shot." Congratulated a tight lipped Rola as he darted past.  
"Not bad yourself," offered Ren between breaths, "hidden talent there."  
"Yeah, don't get to eat as well out here though." He responded as Ren took his turn to flee, the sniper's next shot going wide.

Ren followed Koliaan a few more yards before daring to risk a glance at his shield counter. The long range rounds from the enemy weren't doing a great deal on their own but the sheer volume was steadily draining the kinetic barriers. "Koliaan we can't take much more of this!"  
"Hard right!" the turian barked, "hard right!"  
Ren glanced to see where they were heading now, saw the scarred Lieutenant helping a deathly pale Nira through the door, offered a breathless thanks to Keelah and loosed a final burst of defiance before diving after the Blue Suns. The tinny 'clang' as the door was slammed shut behind him suddenly became the sweetest thing he could recall hearing.

Koliaan didn't give him time to savour it.

"Move!" he commanded, indicating a large open doorway at the other end of the warehouse. On the other side was the welcoming sight of a small, eight man shuttle, its grimy orange flanks parted to reveal an open boarding ramp. The entire team ran for it, each knowing that the impending batarians were only a few hundred yards behind. Rola sprinted into the lead, his rolls of flab jiggling almost comically with every step as he took. The batarian fairly charged up the ramp and disappeared toward the cockpit as Silas and Paladin carried Nira's limp form aboard. Ren caught a glimpse of a volus' leg as he turned with Koliaan to cover them, the pair of officers watching the door and waiting as the trio made their way up.

Time seemed to drag and Ren could feel his heart thumping with restless vigour as each second passed. A clawed hand tapped him firmly on the shoulder and a harsh voice rasped in his ear. "Let's go boy!" His knees burned as he stood and backed up the ramp, eyes flicking from his unsteady footing to the ominous door. He could feel the sweat pouring from his armpits as the doors came together in front of him, sealing the squad in a dark, compact cargo space where the soft glow of orange light lit the compartment. The quarian let out a tired breath and plopped exhaustedly down on the nearest seat. His hands flicked the safety of his rifle to the on position before his head bowed and the strained naval lieutenant blinked away the fatigue.

Dimly, he felt the thrusters thrumming beneath his feet as Jmon brought the systems to full readiness. "We're away." The operator announced and on cue the tiny ship lurched up with a jolt that flipped everyone's stomach before the thrusters kicked in and the craft jetted forward into the traffic lanes. Ren looked up as frantic voices filled the air and watched in sombre silence as the Blue Suns tried to tend to their wounded. "Head for the nearest med-centre," Koliaan ordered, "Nira's in bad shape." Ren was inclined to agree. The quarian didn't know much about asari biology but the sheer amount of blood she'd lost was life-threatening in and of itself.

Silas was the one to tend her, the limited assortment of the ship's medical supplies scattered around his feet. Nira lay at an incline in front of him on a row of bench-like seats on one side of the shuttle, with Paladin standing anxiously overhead.  
"Gi' me some light boy!" Silas demanded, ripping the top off a small sachet with his teeth and scattering the contents over the woman's wound.  
Paladin obediently fired up his omni-tool and the hold was abruptly bathed in a beam of brilliant white radiance.  
Koliaan hovered slightly behind the crisis area, sustaining his position in the midst of the bay by gripping a pair of overhead railings. His watchful eyes tracked every detail.

The human mercenary shook his head but never stopped applying more kinds of medicine and treatments than Ren even knew existed. "We need t' get her specialist help chief, this is way beyond medi-gel and omni-scanners."  
Nira raised her head, inadvertently making Ren jump. He thought the asari had long since passed out. "S-save it Silas. We both know it's useless to-" She spat blood and fell back with a faint, desperate gasp, a horrible pinkish froth staining her lips.  
Koliaan's grip on the railings tightened. "Silas? What is she talking about?"  
The human didn't reply immediately and even from across the hold, Ren could see the hardening of his jawline before he responded. "She's bin lung shot." He admitted finally, the subtle thickening of his brogue hinting at the sergeant's distress. "I've been patching it up wi' medi-gel ever since t' ware'ouse but she's losing t' much blood n' what little she's keepin' is flooding int' lung."  
Paladin spoke, his words wrapped in emotional torment. "What are you saying old man?"  
"She c'n hardly breathe and I've got no way o' gettin' air into her wi'out specialist equipment." Silas ran his omni-tool over the asari's fragile form as empty syringes of medi-gel rolled around his feet. "If we'd bin able t' walk into a med-centre straight after the firefight then mebbe but..." he stood back, never taking his eyes from his patient's gaping wound, "there's nowt I can do fer her now."

Paladin lunged for him and Ren found himself on his feet immediately, a strange sense of loyalty to the Sergeant prompting the action. Fortunately the Blue Sun's officer had seen the impulsive attack coming and was now standing between the two humans.  
"Stand down Paladin! You think if he could do something for her he'd hold back?"  
Paladin glared at the turian with eyes that could have melted steel. "We can't just give up on her!"  
"Soliders die, no amount of wishing can change that!" The rebuke was harsh, tinged with frustration and Ren immediately saw the adverse effect it was going to have on the dark-skinned human, but before the dangerous situation could escalate further a hand touched Paladin on the back of the knee.

Abruptly all tension in the cockpit dissipated and Paladin spun around, his eyes locking on the pained violet iris' of the stricken asari biotic. Ren watched closely as the human knelt beside her, remembering how the first time he'd seen her the asari looked so confident and self assured. She'd stared down her nose at everything, seemingly secure in a belief that nothing could touch her. Now she looked almost pathetically frail, every appearance of strength gone; there wasn't even a trace of the powerful biotic energy that she'd once flaunted so carelessly.

He couldn't help but stare as the brash Paladin took her hand in his; the awkwardness with which he held her suggested it wasn't a gesture he'd grown comfortable with, but the faint warmth that appeared on her face afterward indicated she took some comfort from the act. Her lips moved tentatively and the mercenary leant in closely to listen, blocking Ren's view of Nira. He caught the faintest hints of a sorrowful smile threatening to grace the man's dark face before he apparently caught himself. He whispered something back and leant over to remove something from around her neck. Dog tags Ren guessed. Just as he wrapped his fist over the thin strips of metal and gently pulled himself away the asari's breathing finally faltered, her chest quivering as it sank for the last time. A faint, ironic smile graced her bloodied face as she passed into the void while beside her, the Paladin's head bowed in stricken silence.

Koliaan, watching the events from the middle of the cargo hold, quietly opened up his omni-tool.  
"Rola, change course," the turian's voice was noticeably softer, "get us back to Avo's."  
There was a moment's hesitation before a troubled voice responded. "Nira didn't make it?"  
The old scraps of the turian's left mandible twitched but his face otherwise remained still. "That's a negative."  
The comm went silent, the gentle buckle as the ship changed course being the batarian's only response.  
Silas stood and slowly walked away, granting Paladin his privacy and taking up a seat next to the silent quarian. For a long time, neither species spoke.

"I hate watching young asari die. Bloody waste." Silas said eventually, his muted tone showing a discretion Ren'Gerrel hadn't expected.  
The quarian cocked his head quizzically, though the gesture wasn't needed.  
"An asari can live a good six of our lifetimes; she'd barely lived two." The human explained with a heavy sigh. "Us humans are lucky to live to 150, least if we die young we aren't missing much." Silas shook his head. "She was coming up on her matron stage too, you know about those?"  
Ren nodded; it had been touched upon in their pre-Pilgrimage training.  
"I think that's why they were starting t' get close," he inclined his head gently toward his oddly silent charge, "she wanted attachment and they'd been on and off a few times before."  
"I didn't see Paladin as the kind to care much for settling down." Ren admitted, casting an oddly guilty glance back at the distraught mercenary.  
"I don't know that he was, but he was falling fer her all the same. I doubt it would've worked out meself," he confided quietly, "but that doesn't make it any less o' a kick in the balls for t' lad."

The human's gaze fell to the purple blood on his gloves. "Had way t' much friendly blood on these hands over the years kid," he mused, "try an' keep it off yours eh?"  
Ren didn't quite understand what the old sergeant was referring to but a commotion from the entrance to the cockpit prevented him from asking.  
"You _never_ prepared us for this kind of a fight, if we'd have known what we were going up against we'd have brought at least two squads. Now, because you decided not to be upfront with us, one of my team is in the ground!" Evidently Koliaan had managed to corner the volus arms dealer.  
"I told you everything I'd found out about my contact," replied Nid indignantly, the tiny alien standing firm in the doorway to the pilot's cabin, "nothing from our previous encounters suggested he'd have anything beyond the most -Krrsh- basic levels of personal protection."  
"He was a turian, when was the last time you saw a turian relying solely on vorcha? My kind aren't krogan Nid, if we hire protection we want someone who can actually think for themselves!"  
"Evidently you should have thought about that the moment you saw the vorcha arrive -Krrsh-, as it stands your incompetence has not only cost me business but also an entire shipment of highly priced and sought after weaponry!"  
The little volus gave as good as he got, Ren would give him that. Evidently Koliaan didn't hold quite the same sway Torr did over the diminutive alien.  
"Don't you try to lay this on me you uptight runt, you told us to expect light resistance not a whole damn army!" The turian was visibly seething and had apparently found a suitable outlet for his frustration. "You can forget hiring the Blue Suns in future volus, you'll be on our blacklist from here on out, I'll make sure of it."  
Somehow, despite the obscure qualities of his suit, Avo managed to look smug. "Unlikely fin-head -Krrsh-, your superiors do far too much business with me to simply cast me aside for the sake of one operative."

The turian's arm snapped up immediately at the blatant insult but so did Silas, the old Sergeant moving with surprising speed to intercept his peer's intended punch. Koliaan's head swivelled, his eyes radiating indignant rage at the intrusion. Ren felt his own resolve falter at the sight but Silas held his ground. "Leave it chief, it ain't worth givin' him the satisfaction."  
For a long moment the quarian thought the Lieutenant was going to follow through on his threat, hell, Ren would have done had he been in the same situation; to his surprise however the turian slowly lowered his arm and unclenched his fist.  
Avo Nid seemed to let that bolster his confidence even more. "I want your pilot to take us to these coordinates," he ordered, opening his omni-tool display, "going back to my shop front will not be the safest course of action -Krrsh- if the turian has any of his friends out to get me."  
Koliaan fixed him with a death stare. "If you think you're making demands of me after that little speech you'd better close your damn respirator."  
Nid straightened as best as his rotund frame would allow to issue his response when movement from the other set of benches caught his attention.  
Paladin looked up from where he still stood protectively over Nira's body, his voice filled with emotional menace. "You're lucky I don't throw your fat ass out the cargo doors right now; I don't give a shit what HQ'll say."

Koliaan glanced at him and like Ren, quietly registered the immense strain the aggrieved human was under to not follow through on his threat. It seemed to spark something in the turian, whose own aggressive tone jumped down a notch. "We go back to the original drop-off point and you can sort your own mess out from there." He finished. "As soon as we land we're through with you."  
The volus raised his arm as if to argue but Koliaan turned aside and ignored him completely. Ren watched from behind his tinted visor as Avo lowered his arm, shook his head dismissively and waddled back into the cockpit. A moment later the cabin filled with the punctuated sounds of a conversation between the volus and an unknown contact who Ren assumed to be an assistant of some kind. "The deal went down bad -Krrsh-, I need you to send a pick up to the shop and get me all you can on this guy -Krrsh-, I have to know who else he might have coming after me." Anything else the volus said was lost as Silas prudently keyed the door shut.

The remainder of the journey passed in silence, the squad feeling both the physical and emotional strain of the last hour. Paladin sat next to his lost love, head bowed from a mixture of fatigue and grief. Silas, Koliaan and Ren remained on the other side of the cabin, respectfully granting the human as much space as possible. Silas sank deep into the uncomfortable support the bench offered, his bare head resting against the cool metal of the bulkhead. His eyes were closed, his breathing slowed and his only discernable movement was the occasional shudder of his body as the old shuttle jinked to avoid some unseen obstacle. The turian Lieutenant meanwhile was engrossed in his omni-tool, likely working to create a mission report while the events were still fresh in his mind; Ren was busily checking his rifle over, more thoroughly this time. From what he could tell the thrust at the batarian's armoured mid-section hadn't caused any damage to the rifle's emitter, the lightweight but tough material used to make the weapon had shrugged off the impact with veritable ease.

When the shuttle drew near to their destination and a very subdued Rola'Jmon came over the comm to inform the mercenary band, the much loathed figure of Avo Nid stepped back into the cabin. The abrupt surge of tension in the air was immediately apparent to all save the source himself who blatantly ignored the furious looks he was receiving. Even the young quarian felt strong animosity toward the profit-driven creature, the well nurtured kin-like ties between his own people leaving him unable to comprehend how a being could be so callous about a loss of life he was responsible for. He stood as the shuttle drew to a halt and the bay doors split open, revealing the immediately recognizable rooftop of the same shop where he, Torr and Tali had first met the little alien just days ago.

As the door-ramp locked into position Ren stepped off the shuttle quickly, wanting nothing more than to escape the boiling tension that seemed to fill the entire hold. Nid followed almost immediately, the fat volus still engaged in his conference call and completely ignorant of the emotional tempest he'd just left behind.  
"No I don't want to meet with him tomorrow -Krrsh- I was almost killed today! -Krrsh- I thought asari were supposed to be smart? -Krrsh- If you can't do your job then what the hell am I paying you for?" It was lucky for Avo that he'd reached the door, another word and Koliaan might have dropped him there and then, if Paladin hadn't beaten him to it. Luckily Silas had the presence of mind to stand spread-eagled on the edge of the shuttle ramp, bodily blocking most of the hold and preventing both the raw human and the infuriated commander from venting their rage on the unwitting volus.

"Your contract with him is up now?" Ren asked Koliaan, nodding toward the closing door.

"That asshole can get his own protection from here," replied the turian with a furious scowl, "I'm damned if I'm covering for his ilk anymore, no matter what he's paying." He punctuated his words by spitting on the metal roof, something that Ren was taken aback by. Turians weren't normally that quick to illustrate their feelings and even in the short time he'd known him, Koliaan was one of the strictest and most disciplined he'd come across. _I know Nid's attitude got to him but I thought he'd cooled off by now...guess it's affected him more than I thought. _The commander's fiery glare fell on Ren, the dark eyes somehow managing to find and fix his own even through the heavily tinted plexi-glass.

Koliaan moved around Silas and hopped off the still hovering shuttle, taking two quick steps towards Ren that instantly put the young quarian on edge. He said nothing, but he shifted his weight almost imperceptibly from one foot to the other while loosening his arm muscles.  
"You're trying to find the guy who did this, aren't you?"  
Ren nodded, now very aware that the aggrieved alien might see him as the source of all this. He kept one eye on the turian's claws, waiting to see if the alien moved for his weapon.  
"Good. Whoever this bashak is, he's put one of my team in the ground." Koliaan stepped closer, his mandibles inches from Ren's voice synthesizer. "When you find him, and I don't care who it might be, you be damn sure and let me know about it."  
It was evident the turian meant what he said and with the dark fire in his eyes, Ren knew it'd be suicide to refuse. But more than that, for all the mercenary's aggression the quarian sympathised with the Blue Suns Lieutenant. He might not have lost a squad member, but Ren i_had/i_ lost shipmates before; he didn't intend to deny the man his vengeance. "You got it." He replied quietly, cementing the agreement with a sharp nod.

The turian studied him for a second and appearing satisfied, finally backed down. He gave a nod of his own before turning and jumping nimbly back onto the ship, bracing himself with one claw around the hold's support strut. The two officers locked glances again and Ren almost expected a parting shot but what more needed to be said? Instead Koliaan simply retreated into the darkness of the hold where a second later a heavy pair of thumps sounded. Almost immediately the hold doors began to close as the shuttle climbed into the traffic lanes again. Ren's last glimpse of the occupants was of Silas, the veteran standing solidly with his eyes locked on something far off in the distance as the door slid shut over him. The quarian naval officer stood in respectful silence as the shuttle climbed higher, offered a prayer to Keelah for Nira's soul as the tiny vessel rotated to line up with the flowing traffic, and finally turned to leave the rooftop just as the Blue Suns craft jetted away.


	14. Chapter 14: Reunion

**Chapter 14 - Reunion  
**"Torr, that's quarian blood." Tali struggled to get the words out as panic constricted her throat and infested her mind.  
_Ren, that's Ren's blood. That means he's dead. Keelah! And I...what am I going to tell his father? The fleet-  
_A large hand clapped itself on her shoulder and gently eased the distraught machinist aside. "Easy kid, don't go jumping to conclusions before you get a chance to see the whole picture."  
_He's right_, Tali realised, _I'm being overdramatic and I know better._ She stiffened and willed her breathing to regulate itself. _If father could see you now_...  
Torr indicated the dark patches with a sweep of his arm. "Look, there ain't a whole lotta blood here, just a drop or two. Looks like an impact spurt to me, no prolonged bleeding, which means the wound won't have been serious."  
It took his words a moment to register and she nodded with fresh resolve. "Then he's alive." She briefly wondered if the words weren't said as much to convince herself as anything.  
Torr nodded at the mutilated form a few feet away. "Sure looks like his opponent came off a lot worse."  
She glanced in the direction of his nod and immediately wished she hadn't; just the glimpse of the perforated batarian threatened to send her already feeble stomach over the edge. "Keelah..." she groaned, immediately averting her gaze. Strangely, despite the horror of the image she found her confidence growing; between the fallen batarian and the lack of severe bleeding all the evidence was there, Ren _had_ to be alive.

Torr gestured for her to follow him and Tali obediently complied, all too willing to leave the horrific scenes behind. Unfortunately what lay ahead was scarcely better. As the pair moved for the south door, where Torr believed the Blue Suns might have made their escape, a dark patch of purple blood caught their attention. "That's asari blood," Torr remarked grimly, "and a lot of it."  
"That has to be Nira." Tali realised.  
Torr agreed. "Looks like Ren was going the same way, so that'd be my guess."  
A sudden thought struck the quarian. "If the mercenaries were that badly injured, Ren might still have-"  
"Tali, stop." The old krogan cut her off. "There's no bodies and not a lot of quarian blood; the worst thing we're looking at right now is that the asari is dead. The kid's a fighter, he knows how to take care of himself and he had a good team looking after him."  
His assurances struck her as being reminiscent of what Ren had told her just over a week ago. Tali shook her head at her own forgetfulness. "You're right," she conceded, "I can't say I'm not concerned about him but I'm not helping him by letting fear paralyze me."  
Torr's brow creased with sombre approval as he pushed open the door to the street. "That's better; now c'mon, let's see if we can't track him down."

More batarian corpses awaited them outside, a trio directly in front of the door and a further three spread out across the street. Torr gave them a quick once over while Tali noticed some significant disturbance in the muck leading further down toward the staging warehouse. "Precision round, straight through the head." Torr declared. "Looks like Koliaan had himself a sniper he neglected to mention."  
"There's a lot of tracks here and they all lead down there," Tali indicated, "back where we left Rola'Jmon with the surveillance equipment."  
"And judging from the pair of bodies trailing down the street, the reinforcements hounded them the whole way back." Torr's jaw tightened. "Gave a good accounting of themselves though if they took down this many."  
Privately Tali wondered just how many men the batarians had brought with them and where they had gotten to now. _Were they still pursuing Ren and the others, or were they lying in wait for her and Torr ahead? _

Unwilling to progress without exploring other options Tali activated her omni-tool. "We should be able to raise them on the comm channel if they're still in range, though I think Rola was routing communications through his terminal."  
"Meaning if the terminal is out, so are comms."  
"Exactly." Replied the engineer, busily inputting a multitude of commands. "But...if we're lucky..." Her head bent slightly to one side, indicating she was listening intently to something. She shook her head at the static that engulfed the receiver and, unsure of Blue Suns communication protocols, decided to burst-broadcast a local message.  
"Attention main squad this is Tali'Zorah, do you copy?"  
Static.  
"Repeat, main squad this is Tali'Zorah come in."  
Torr's questioning glance was met with a negative wave of the hand.  
"Attention Ren'Gerrel, are you receiving, over?"  
With a frustrated scowl Tali shut the channel down. "Nothing but static," she announced, "they're either out of range or the comms unit is deactivated."  
"Or fried." Torr remarked. "Lets go take a look in the staging warehouse, see if they left anything behind. Gotta move fast though, the longer we hover around here the less time we have to get out before the scavengers hit."  
"I thought you said people would avoid disturbances like this?" Tali recalled dubiously.  
"Sure, until the gunfire dies down. When things cool off all the roaches come outta their hidey-holes to pick what they can from the remains."

As the duo followed the tracks to the warehouse Tali found herself keeping an extra few feet back from Torr, a subconscious act the krogan had failed to notice. She put it down to her uneasiness with him after his violent interrogation of the turian; while she doubted he'd even consider doing something like that to her, the incident had revealed a side of Torr that she wasn't sure how to handle. It wasn't as if the krogan had become a completely different person in her eyes, more that a new, unexpected side to him had been revealed and warranted a re-evaluation of his character. A few yards ahead the source of her unease pushed open the door to the warehouse and after a moment's delay, Tali stepped in after him.

The first thing that caught the quarian's eye was how sparse the interior of this structure seemed compared to the one they'd just vacated. She'd seen it all before of course but the immediate transition from one warehouse to another brought home the differences between the two with stark clarity. Whereas the previous warehouse was stocked full of shipping containers and storage crates this one was home to only a few scattered containers, the only other object of note being the large communications & surveillance terminal that Rola'Jmon had been seated at the first time they'd encountered the Blue Suns. The terminal itself was blackened by electrical fires and punctuated by gaping impact holes that littered the outer shell and exposed the fractured components within. "This place is a mess." Grumbled Torr, kicking aside a sheet of bullet-ridden metal that had once been a part of the station.  
"There's no bodies though." Tali noticed prudently, a significant portion of her fears allayed.  
"And no shuttle either." Said Torr, pointing to the large open door at the rear of the building that led out to the singular landing platform. "I don't see the batarians wanting to go for a joyride so Ren and the others must have gotten out."  
"I don't remember seeing a shuttle when we were last here."  
"No other reason for the door to be open like that." Replied her companion amicably. "The Suns wouldn't have made a run back here just to make a last stand, they'll have had some method of escape."

As Torr prowled around looking for further evidence of Ren's departure Tali turned her attention to the fried comms terminal, her technological curiosity aroused at the possibility of recovering some of the data. Five minutes of playing around with her omni-tool later the young engineer gave up with a sigh of exasperation. "I almost wish those batarians were still here just so I could give them a piece of my mind." She glowered. "I mean, what does shooting up the terminal accomplish? It's almost like they knew we'd be coming and don't want us to find Ren."  
"They probably did it out of frustration, letting off steam. Lookin' at this the Suns made it out before our turian's friends got here and," Torr suppressed a chuckle, "batarians aren't exactly known for their discipline."

Tali shook her head and briefly contemplated pumping a few rounds of her own into the useless device before turning her attention to another aspect of the puzzle. "If they all left on the shuttle, will they have taken Ren back to...wherever they were going?"  
"I doubt it. Mercs like the Blue Suns don't take too kindly to people walking around their territory, escort or no. Even Avo Nid would have caused some kinda commotion there. More likely he and Ren got dropped off someplace, probably one of Nid's joints."  
"Like the shop where we met him?" Wondered Tali.  
Torr shrugged, stepping past the remains of the comm station. "Maybe, doesn't really matter though. Ren's not stupid, wherever they dropped him he'll be on his way back to my place by now." A distant shout filtered through the warehouse's thin walls and the krogan's head raised with sudden alertness. Tali's fingers instinctively tightened around the barrel of her shotgun, remembering both Torr's mention of scavengers and the fierce street battle between the vorcha and mercenaries she now knew to be Blue Suns only days ago.  
"Might not be a bad idea for us to head back there too," rumbled her companion, "get the feeling things are gonna turn ugly around here soon."

* * *

Within a few hours the pair had managed to locate a second airspeeder back to the Soka district and a short walk took them back to Torr's secluded apartment. Tali led the way down the fast becoming familiar alley and quickly keyed in the five-digit pass code required for the door locks to disengage. Torr had provided both Ren and Tali with a code of their own when they left the house earlier that day just in case they got split up. It was the first time the krogan had offered them exit and entry of their own accord, although he still took the precaution of making the code automatically expire within a standard day. Initially Tali had been touched by his trust in his quarian guests and had felt her own confidence in Torr increase as a result. Now, after seeing a fresh side to the oversized krogan, she couldn't help but wonder if she had allowed herself to be too easily influenced.

The lock warbled electronically as it processed the code and the eager engineer grunted as she tried to pull the heavy sheet of metal aside. Her tired muscles managed to budge it a few inches before Torr loomed over her and with a soft chuckle, dragged the whole thing aside with one arm. Tali didn't stop to thank him, her concern for Ren outweighing her upbringing, and darted inside only to come face to face with her fellow pilgrim. The tired figure of Ren'Gerrel nar Neema stood on the other side of the bulky table, his assault rifle lying atop it as though he'd just lain it down.  
"Tali?" He asked, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.  
The girl in question smiled in relief at seeing the Lieutenant in once piece. "Ren! Thank Keelah you're alright, we thought that...I mean, with everything that happened..."  
Ren exchanged a welcome nod with Torr as the old krogan stepped inside and pulled the door shut, grinning a fierce greeting himself. "I'm not dead yet," the quarian replied in a weary tone, "though I came pretty close."

It was then that Tali noticed the all-too familiar envirosuit repair kit scattered across the tabletop. Her eyes immediately tracked to Ren and the dark patches of blood staining his veil finally registered in her vision. It couldn't have all been his, there was far too much for him to be standing right now if that were the case. Regardless, it was only the nagging thought that Torr was watching that stopped her from walking around the table to examine the damage herself.  
"It's just a bullet graze, nothing serious. My armour," Ren tapped the bicep plate lightly, "caught the round and deflected it so that it just tore the seal."  
Tali couldn't help but sigh, her fears allayed by the news. "Just a suit breach then."  
"Pretty much, and we've all had plenty of those growing up." The Lieutenant's wry chuckle sounded drained and Tali wasn't sure if she was imagining it but it sounded like the first stages of a fever were setting in. Such afflictions were not uncommon when a suit breach occurred, though the severity of the sickness usually coincided with the seriousness of the breach.

Torr stepped further into the room, sniffing dismissively as Ren's wound as he passed. "Won't be putting an end to you with that anytime soon," he remarked, rummaging through one of the many cabinets that lined the walls. When his hand came back out it was wrapped around a very large, very thick plastic bottle that glowed with the artificial light of neon advertising slogans. "Ryncol," he offered by way of explanation, holding the beverage aloft, "I'd offer you some but its not easy stuff for a non-krogan to stomach."  
Ren waved him off as he sat down to finish his suit repairs. "Alcohol's not really commonplace back home anyway, never developed a taste for it myself."

The krogan raised a questioning eyebrow as he took a long draught of the emerald coloured liquid. Tali spoke up as she crossed over to assist Ren, deliberately ignoring his insistences that he was fine. "We've not got the supplies for it to be as commonplace as it once was; we have a hard enough time securing enough basic water provisions as it is. We still get it occasionally though," she continued, thinking back to Bardi, "my old boss was very partial to a nip of gisop every now and then."  
Torr shrugged his shoulders and treated himself to another swig, gasping in satisfaction as he pulled the spout away from his mouth. "Ahh that hit the spot," he grinned, "been too long since I last had some of the good stuff. After today I think we deserve it."  
Tali wasn't sure exactly what the krogan deserved as the lingering memory of his actions rose to the forefront of her mind once again but she remained silent, as much as it galled her that Torr seemed completely unrepentant, even dismissive, of his actions.

Instead her fingers danced as she deftly applied a thin layer of omni-gel to Ren's shoulder with a practised hand. She was no medic but he had already done most of the work and patching up a suit breach wasn't all that different from repairing a hull fracture on the Rayya. With an abrupt start the youthful engineer realised just how much she missed being able to feel a ship's hull beneath her fingers. When trapped in the confines of her suit, running her hands across the countless pock-marks, indentures and imperfections of the worn metal was often the only way she could experience any sensation of texture.

She looked up as Torr seated himself opposite the pair, hissing at the sudden flare up of his knee joints. "How'd the Blue Suns manage then Stiff? Didn't look too good from what we saw."  
Ren looked at him askance. "You went back to the warehouse?"  
Beside him Tali nodded. "We went back to look for you after we caught the turian," she explained, pushing on quickly before she gave herself time to contemplate, "he told us about the batarians but by the time we got back it was over."  
Ren shook his head. "They were a nasty surprise alright, came out of nowhere. They got Nira too, the asari? Took her straight through the chest. We tried to evac her but I think we all knew it was a pretty lost cause, even if no one admitted it at the time."

Tali immediately picked up on the fraction of a second's hesitation between the lieutenant's sentences. Evidently Nira's death had shaken him, though how severely was difficult to ascertain. He wasn't particularly easy to read in his current state and all she could detect was an overwhelming sense of fatigue, a sensation she emphasised with. She recalled their past discussions, how Ren had never lost anyone he'd known in a combat related death. _We may not have known Nira well but it has to be affecting him one way or another, even if it's not immediately obvious._

Torr shook his head at the expected news. "How'd the turian take it?"  
"Koliaan? Well, let's just say that Avo Nid was lucky to get off that shuttle alive." Ren turned his attention to Tali just as she looked up from patching his suit. "I promised to tell him when we found the guy who did this; he was dead set on revenge, can't say I blame him." He offered a grateful nod as her as she closed the last seal. "Thanks. What did you find out from that turian you took off after, did you manage to corner him?"

The younger pilgrim nodded and launched into a concise recounting of her and Torr's pursuit and eventual interrogation of their target. She deliberately left out the details of the actual interrogation as much to avoid irritating Torr as to subdue her own conscience. If Ren detected any of her reluctance he offered no hint of it.  
"So we still don't know who's behind all this?" He muttered glumly.  
"Or even why they attacked the convoy in the first place," added Tali pointedly, "though at least we know it wasn't a completely random attack."  
"I think the stealth missiles already answered that question," supplied Torr, "but it's nice to get confirmation to be sure."  
"Assuming the turian didn't lie to us." Tali pondered.  
"Oh he didn't lie," Torr chuckled, "you take my word on that."  
Ren shot Tali a discreet, questioning glance but she ignored it. He was smart; if she wasn't bringing it up, it was for a reason.

A silence settled upon the group that lasted just long enough for Tali to begin to feel uncomfortable before Torr spoke up. "Well, no sense melting what's left of our brains on questions we can't answer; I'll put out some feelers about the turian's lead tomorrow, see what turns up. Right now I think it's best we all get some rest before we drop where we sit."  
"I could go for that," agreed Ren, "it's been one hell of a day."  
Tali shifted in her seat and winced at the sudden discomfort in her spine. Apparently spending just a few moments seated was all it took for her body to enter a state of lethargy. If this was how she felt after just chasing a turian she didn't want to imagine how Ren must have been feeling right then.

The man in question offered no complaint as he stood, though the subtle arching of his back gave away more than enough. "Think I might go for the couch tonight after all, being able to lie on something soft sounds really nice at the moment."  
"You can have the bedroom if you want," offered Tali immediately, "I don't mind taking the couch."  
"Thanks but I don't want to end up spoiled." He quipped. _Guess everything that's happened tonight still hasn't managed to quell his sense of humour.  
_"Just make sure you get some sleep this time," ordered the engineer, "and if that fever starts getting worse make sure you shoot up on extra anti-biotics."  
Somehow, despite the stuffiness of his voice, Ren's bemusement was evident. "Aye aye doc." He replied , disappearing through the simple archway that formed the entrance to his room.  
Torr was already halfway up the stairs, his bottle of ryncol left drained on the countertop. "C'mon kid, sleep waits for no man."  
Tali needed little convincing and found herself soundly asleep within seconds of laying her head on the pillow.


	15. Chapter 15: Matters of Conscience

**Chapter 15 – Matters of Conscience  
**Tali slept fitfully as indigo eyes stalked her in her dreams. She couldn't always see them but she could feel their lingering gaze upon on her wherever she stepped. A voice sometimes accompanied them, a raspy thing with a distinct warble unique to turians. She had ignored it so far but it spoke again as she pushed though the blackness, this time with a forcefulness that caused her to halt, fixed in the steady gaze of those increasingly familiar dark eyes. "Did I truly deserve everything you did to me?" The voice asked and as she stared into its eyes, Tali suddenly grasped who the owner was. Her mind ran over every facet of his actions in seconds: the attack on the _Tarmeena_, the firefight at the warehouses that had resulted in so many dead, his suffering at the hands of Torr. She recalled keenly every loss, from the other pilgrims to Nira, Nid's bodyguards and even Ren's injuries. The answer to his question was evident, undeniable. And still the quarian hesitated.

"Yes." She managed eventually, her throat constricting and making it difficult to speak as her vision filled with images of all those who'd perished. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "You killed all those people."

The accusatory eyes vanished at her words and she felt a second's relief before her body froze as the colourful forms of the _Tarmeena's_ victims materialized from the darkness, standing in a foreboding circle around her. The nearest pilgrim, the quiet individual she remembered as being the most well built of them all, spoke. His voice was deep and sorrowful. "What about us Tali'Zorah nar Rayya? Did we deserve to be remembered in this way?" The question seemed to act like a trigger for the other pilgrims who abruptly closed in on her, their heads cocked quizzically to one side. "Did we deserve it?" They chorused again and again as Tali fought to control her vocal chords. The sorrowful lament began to change into a harsh, unforgiving clamour and Tali felt fear crippling her body as their faceless visors began to morph into the haunting eyes of the turian. Four pairs of malevolent iris' surrounded her and were slowly joined by the rest of the alien's face. His jaw twisted with malice at every iteration of his unbearable cries. "Did I deserve this?" He howled and a mutilated, one fingered hand dominated the gloom. Tali balked and tried to answer but nothing came out. Instead her fingers intertwined and ran through each other in frantic, panicked circles. Flight was out of the question, her legs were rooted to the spot.

The phantom was not satisfied and in a flash his face leered at her from the darkness. "Did I deserve this?" It roared, its countenance one of fury as the alien's features swelled to immense proportions.  
"I don't know!" The distressed engineer finally screeched back as the turian's angular jaws grew and closed in over her head. She ducked instinctively and with a braying laugh that cut though her soul, the sharp pincers and fangs that threatened to swallow her vanished just as they brushed the fringes of her veil.

Tali glanced about her erratically, searching the inky blackness for the next disturbance. As her pulse calmed and her breathing began to settle she caught a glimpse of a familiar red and white environmental suit approaching her. Years of practiced behaviour produced an instinctive response that caused her to straighten, to suddenly master control of her own body once more with a resolve she hadn't known was there. She looked directly into the shimmering blue of his faceplate as he neared her, stared at him as he looked her over in familiar silence. Finally, Rael'Zorah's voice lamp flared and lit up the space between them in an eerie lilac hue.

"Twenty two years and this is what my daughter has become." The overwhelming sadness in his voice immediately threatened to break her will but at the same time she felt a sudden flare of indignation arise in the pit of her belly.  
"What made you this way Tali'Zorah?" The phantom of her father continued. "You were raised as the daughter of an admiral, an example to our entire people. You have expectations to live up to; how can you expect to return to us with this on your conscience?"  
The woman's jaw tightened.  
"What have you become Na'vera? I never taught you this."  
The fury roiled within her at the contempt with which this phantasm spoke such precious words and Tali lashed out with the pent up frustration of a strained childhood. "You taught me _nothing_!" She seethed, punctuating her words with an upraised hand.

* * *

The quarian awoke with a start, a sharp gasp accompanying her reflexive assumption of a seated position. Her eyes darted about the room, searching desperately for a way out of the nightmare as her body locked up, transfixed with shock. It took a moment for her mind to register that she was no longer trapped in her dreams, that she was once again alone in Torr's spare bedroom. There was no ghoul of the turian here to haunt her, no spectre of her father to accuse and revile her. The tension went out of her limbs and Tali reached for the top of her visor with a groan. Though she couldn't massage the stress out of her scalp as she so desperately wanted to, the limited gesture still felt somewhat comforting. "This is insane." The words came out mumbled, sleep addled and musty; for a second she nearly mistook her own voice for that of the turian's.

Her eyes darted around worriedly, suddenly concerned that this might be another manipulative illusion. A quick pat of the bedcovers and a heavy pinch of her own arm through the suit soon put paid to Tali's fears, resulting in a grateful breath of relief steaming up the front of her visor. The lingering patches of mist at the edges of her vision reminded the quarian of the need to cleanse the lingering traces of sleep from her face.

She gave herself a moment to come around before activating the rinse cycle of her suit, inhaling deeply just before a short jet of recycled water hit her in the face. The stream from the suit's onboard water storage was cold, sterile and thoroughly unpleasant but it soon woke her up. The cycle lasted no more than five seconds before the jets deactivated and a hot blast of air followed it, instantly drying any traces of excess moisture. The familiar morning routine brought her a degree of comfort and gave her mind something to distract itself with, a benefit that Tali found herself extremely grateful for. She rose from the bed just as the last vestiges of the sequence completed their course.

A sudden flash of pain from her legs made her hesitate, sinking back onto the bed to rub and knead the unconditioned muscles. Tali smiled bitterly; that she'd been so caught up in worrying about the mental after effects of the previous night she'd clean forgotten about the physical exhaustion that had awaited her. A soft groan escaped her as she stood again, the massage apparently having little effect on her limbs. Even her arms ached and she was sure if she removed her suit there'd be bruises along the inside of her arm as a result of her shotgun's ferocious recoil.

Putting aside her painful mementoes from the previous night, Tali ran her dexterous fingers across the delicate purple fabric of her veil, smoothing the rumpled curls of the intricate fabric. "I can't go on like this." She muttered, tugging at her hood. _Last night...it's getting to me more than I thought it would and not just physically._ Tali swallowed at the all too vivid memories of the night's events. "I'll be happy when this dream fades away." **I_f_**_it fades away_. She knew she wasn't supposed to think about the way nightmares had a tendency to linger but by the time the notion had entered her head it was already too late. It was when she started to contemplate the possibility of mental scarring that Tali forced herself to stop. _I need to talk to Torr about this,_ she decided, _maybe that'll help me come to terms with what I let him do.  
__What if it doesn't work?_ A voice in the back of her head demanded.  
_I have to try __**something.**_

When Tali arrived downstairs the house seemed strangely deserted. There was no sign of Ren, only his bedding which was neatly folded at the foot of the couch. Still, it was obvious enough that he hadn't left under protest of any kind which helped calm any irrational fears that threatened to spring up. Similarly Torr was neither sleeping, judging by the lack of snoring, nor present in his usual spot in the kitchen. In fact, both men proved notoriously difficult to locate. Tali had never felt comfortable exploring the depths of Torr's house, no matter how much the krogan had reassured her that he had little worth keeping private. In fact, in the last few days spent with him both she and Ren had restricted themselves to their respective rooms and the comfortably large kitchen. It had likely been a source of their slow frustration toward having to remain in the house awaiting a lead but neither quarian had wanted to intrude upon their host.

Now however Tali saw little alternative but to explore and try to find Torr, or seat herself at the massive table and wait for him to return. Wanting her demons exorcised sooner rather than later, she opted to try one of the as yet unfamiliar adjoining rooms. Even as her nightmares spurned her forward Tali's hand hesitated just inches above the door's keypad. Purging her fears from her mind the quarian steeled herself and opened the door.

The room inside was dark but as she stepped over the threshold sensors detected her presence and activated the solitary light that bathed the room in a soft glow. It was evidently unoccupied but even as she realised Torr wasn't there, Tali's eyes fell upon the contents of the room and a sudden pang of curiosity prompted her to stay.

The room was small at first glance, though a more comprehensive examination revealed it was actually larger than it first appeared. The apparent lack of space was due to the overwhelming assortment of run down old machine parts and countless devices in various stages of either re-construction or disassembly that were stacked haphazardly against the walls.

A lot of it she dimly recognized as components used in engines for small, personal transports. Her mind drifted back to the story Torr had told them the night they'd first met him. _I used to run a chop-shop here, fixing up old speeders_. Doubtless the mass of oily apparatuses were leftovers from those days, likely dumped here whenever Torr had closed his business down. A strong pang of longing unexpectedly welled up in the engineer and before she could help herself, her hand was already drifting over the spoked prongs of a greasy gear shaft. In her mind's eye she could see the piles of defunct equipment that Bardi had kept aboard the Rayya, scores of allegedly un-repairable machines that the pair had spent countless hours rebuilding from little more than their base components.

Tali's head dipped. Somehow she felt that she'd aged exponentially since those days. The weeks since then now felt like years and when she looked back she saw herself as more of a child, caught up in an innocent existence with no notion of the kind of horrors that were taking place continuously out here in the galaxy. _Is this what the Pilgrimage does to you? _Tali wondered. _Is this what adulthood feels like?_ She'd always thought of herself as being one of the more mature quarians in her age group but now she began to wonder if she hadn't been amongst the most childish.

An oddly familiar looking case that lay propped against a particularly cannibalized Sevron Systems drive motor caught her eye. Manoeuvring across the room was difficult but she managed to work her way close enough to examine it. The dark, blocky shapes it held became clearer as she moved closer until Tali finally placed them as an assortment of weapons, the clips that held them being part of a weapon rack that she hadn't encountered before. It looked old, very old, and if she had to guess she'd have said it was a relic from Torr's past. Krogan could live over a thousand years according to extranet files and Torr looked to have passed that marker decades ago. The pilgrim wondered just how many other veritable artifacts he'd kept stored in this room over the years. One of the weapons in the rack was so old it didn't even have compression technology; instead it dominated the rack, protruding far higher than its counterparts. In the modern age it looked obscene and she hated to think how bulky and obnoxious it must have been to carry around.

A soft creak from behind Tali caused her head to snap around and she found herself staring in shock at the familiar outline of Torr. How he managed to get around so quietly was beyond her, and she found the habit more than a little frustrating. Somehow, despite the poor illumination of the room and her encompassing suit Torr still managed to detect the woman's surprise, causing a soft chuckle to rise out of the old warrior. "So you finally found the misbegotten collection of relics from my past lives." He pushed himself away from the door frame where he'd been leaning with an easy shrug. "Took you long enough."  
For a moment Tali wasn't sure how to respond. Torr remained silent and eventually the quarian's apologetic instinct kicked in. "I'm sorry I...I was trying to find you and-"  
The krogan cut her off with a gentle rebuttal. "I told ya you were welcome to explore this place Tali, don't make excuses for doing just that."  
Her mouth was already forming the apology when she clamped her teeth down on her tongue. Experience had taught her that Torr wouldn't appreciate it.  
Torr took a step inside, his huge frame highlighting the lack of space in the overflowing room. "You see what you've missed out on now?" He asked, hefting a heavy combustion manifold in one easy hand. "What you did yesterday proved you've got a talent for machinery kid, you could've been gaining tons of new knowledge from this pile of scrap if you'd taken me up on my offer earlier."  
Tali nodded regretfully. "I know, but it was never something I felt comfortable with. Even on the fleet certain degrees of privacy are maintained."  
"Let it be a lesson, don't turn somebody down just for the sake of being polite. If your poking around would have bothered me, I wouldn't have made the suggestion in the first place." He moved for the doorway, gesturing for the quarian to follow. "C'mon kid, let's put it behind us. Right now, Krovak Torr has something else to show you."


	16. Chapter 16: A Question of Culture

**Chapter 16 – A Question of Culture  
**The slightly quarian padded softly after the towering krogan as he led her to across the house, all the way to the second room that she hadn't dared enter. Now that Torr was beside her she felt no sense of intrusion. Instead the quarian found herself growing increasingly curious. The storage room she'd just been in had been something of an adventurous for her and Tali couldn't help but let her imagination wander. What hidden treasures might Torr be hiding behind these doors? And why was he so intent on showing them to her? She imagined wild things, a cache of long-forgotten krogan technology, accumulated throughout the ages, a speeder bike that Torr had been working on privately for years and now required her expertise with. Tali could almost feel her head swelling at that last prideful thought.

Torr's frame almost hid the entirety of the doorway from view and it was only after numerous pass codes, gene locks and still other security conditions were met that the door slowly slid open with a gentle brushing of metal on metal. The elaborate security set up only fed Tali's anticipation and it was something of a relief when she could finally take a look at the contents of the room itself. The first thing Tali noticed as Torr stepped aside was the sheer thickness of the actual door. It was at least twice as thick as any equivalents she'd ever seen. The second thing she noticed was how rapidly her jaw hit the base of her helmet.

The room was lined from floor to roof with what had to be hundreds of books, all stacked one against the other as though they were a wall unto themselves. A tentative, disbelieving step drew Tali into the room, her eyes fixed on the impossible sight before her. There were occasional gaps and a few empty shelves scattered here and there but the sheer vibrancy of the collection was staggering. The spines of the various volumes were completely unpredictable, with fantastically coloured and elegantly fonted tales placed freely next to the duller, darker styles of older works.

Torr pulled the door shut behind them as a solitary lock re-engaged itself with a soft bleep of confirmation. Tali thought she detected a glimmer of both amusement and pride in the old man's golden eyes as he sank gratefully into a solitary chair that occupied the centre of the room, the only concession to furnishings that existed within the treasure trove they now occupied. Tali hadn't even registered its presence, her amazement with Torr's hidden library commanding the entirety of her attention. As her head caught up with her sudden excitement the quarian began to study the books in greater detail, slowly coming to realise that the collection didn't belong to any one race; indeed, Torr had taken the time to organise the placement of the books into sections divided by race and then listed them alphabetically by order of authors.

As her eyes ran over the scores of books Tali began to recognize some of the author's names. Rules of combat and dissertations on stratagem, written by famed turian military minds from ages past, lined that race's shelves. The salarian books consisted mostly of the works of notable playwrights such as Qilon and Jamai, together with the concise thoughts of the species' most respected philosophers. Classical asari fictions lined their shelves, grand sweeping novels that drew upon centuries of experience in a way that often left non-asari readers both bewildered and entranced.

A few batarian chronicles on wars and slavery rights dotted the shelves above the equally small selection of elcor works, the latter's ponderous habits resulting in surprisingly few completed works. On the corner bookcase a band of scattered documents hinted at the volus' closely guarded mercantile arts and the majority of the hanar works related to their beloved enkindlers, though a surprising amount of poetry also resided in the same space.

The engineer was surprised to see a number of human titles placed amongst the volumes, wondering at the fact that such a galactically young race had already spread their works across the vast chasm of space. The books in their section seemed as diverse as her pre-Pilgrimage training had claimed their race to be, with elaborately written plays sharing the space with classical works of fiction, historical chronicles and thick religious and philosophical texts. She recognized the name Confucius amongst them, recalling that many of the practical minded turians had become followers of the ancient, practical teachings in recent years.

Even a few krogan books lined the shelves, lauded for their rarity not just for their existence in a paperless society, but also because very few krogans had the patience or will to write anything beyond the briefest of battle reports. There were no vorcha works to be seen, a fact that she found utterly unsurprising.

As Tali's eyes fell upon the uppermost batch of shelves she suddenly felt her heart catch in her throat. The immediately recognizable lines of ancient kellish script were etched into the spines of three small books, their soft curves glistening in the sombre mood lighting that wrapped the room in a comforting embrace. The triumlative of books were bound in a thick, fabric-like material that she didn't recognize. It was earthen in colour, the muted shades of the natural greens providing a warm contrast to the stony grey of the faded lettering.

Torr, up until now content to watch and measure the quarian's reaction, spoke with a quiet respect, knowing well what the presence of those books would mean to his guest. "I've only dared handle them twice since they came into my possession. They're very fragile and so old that they likely came from one of your worlds before the geth revolt happened."

Tali struggled to formulate a response. "Those...they can't possibly be real..." Merely breathing in the general direction of the wall of volumes sent a nervous shiver through her, despite being very much aware that what little traces of her breath escaped her suit were uncommonly sterile. She swung her gaze on the krogan, slowly recalling his words on the way back from Avo Nid's and unable to keep the hint of accusation from her voice. "How did you get them?"  
Torr gestured for her to take a seat. "It was during my days as a merc, we were hired to board and secure a cruise liner. The guy who was paying the bills had some kinda grudge against one of the posh fellas on board, wanted us to take the bridge and bring the whole ship to a halt while he personally beat the crap outta this feeble old man."

He nodded at Tali's uncomfortable poise. "I didn't much like it either, far as Krovak Torr was concerned what he was doing was weak, there was no respect in it. So, as the screams from the beating dragged on I wandered about the room, making a show of checking for concealed firearms, emergency comm beacons, that kinda thing. Anyways as I'm prowling around I see these funny lookin' books with lettering I don't recognize sitting in this glass case. So I figure they might be worth something and try and lift the casing off, only the guy's put a security DNA lock on it hasn't he?" A faint smile lit the old krogan's face. "Thing is, he didn't account for a krogan's brute strength. I just put my fist straight through the glass and as the alarms started shrieking at me, I lifted them books free and stuck 'em in my belt. The guy who hired me was screaming obscenities at this point, tellin' me I was a big dumb brute and that those books belonged to him now."

A deep rumble that Tali had come to recognize as a chuckle billowed up from Torr. "I told him the way I saw it, he was getting what he wanted and he shoulda known that part of any merc's contract is a right to unclaimed spoils. It wasn't of course, but was smart enough not to argue the point with a ten foot tall krogan in his battle prime."  
Tali felt an amused smile pull at the corners of her mouth.  
"Them books have been with me ever since, though I was smart enough to decide not to sell 'em on unless I got desperate for cash." He huffed. "Turns out I never did."  
"And you've kept them here since then?" Tali was incredulous. "I'm amazed a room like this could even exist outside of a museum, much less on Omega. These books have to be worth millions when you total them up, how in Keelah's name have you kept them safe?"  
He held up a placating hand in response. "Everything you see here has been acquired over decades of galaxy wandering and hidden in carefully disguised stashes across dozens of worlds. It's only been in the last few years since I decided to take up residence here that I brought them all back with me where I could watch over them, read from them...learn from them. Now Omega might not be the safest place to keep items of value but ol' Krovak Torr was very meticulous about his security when he bought this place." Reptilian eyes twinkled. "And you'd be surprised how many people will go out of their way to avoid a 10 foot tall krogan once he settles into the neighbourhood."

Tali simply shook her head in wonderment and sank down to sit on the cold surface of the floor. From down here Torr's physique looked even more impressive, his sinewy muscles rippling as he shifted into a more comfortable position in his thickly cushioned chair. _He's an incredibly odd character._ Tali realised and momentarily her desire to have him explain his actions was overrun by a need to learn more about him.

"What made you collect all these books?" She ventured hesitantly.  
Torr's long pause and heavy intake of breath told her the answer was going to be a long winded one. "Ever since I was a whelp, I've always had an interest in the past. I was constantly on the heels of the Shaman as a boy, striving to learn all I could about our clan; battle history, great warriors, our fiercest enemies, who to hate and who to respect. I annoyed the hell outta him for the first few years, but by the time I was of age to take the rite I think the old man had developed a respect for me. When I got back from facing the wilderness of Tuchanka alone he told me that he wanted me to be trained in the ways of the Shaman, to be his replacement when he perished. It wasn't something I'd ever considered, all I wanted to do was fight in the name of Krovak Horad, just like the rest of our kind. But the more I thought about it the more sense it made and I started to get to likin' the idea. Even knowing what you had to go through to become a Shaman didn't put me off."

When Tali shot him a questioning glance, the old krogan shook his head. "Trust me kid, you don't want to know. Anyway, it didn't matter too much in the end. Centuries later, right around the time the old guy came close to dying a rival clan fell upon us in the midst of one of Tuchanka's biggest dust storms. The Krovak clan was obliterated in one fell swoop and the young upstart who masterminded it all brought clan Urdnot to glory on the wave of our defeat." Torr's face was impassive and Tali suspected he'd long since come to terms with the loss of his clan. "I was the only one to survive, badly wounded and lost in the storm. I managed to find shelter and spent a few days hunting pyjaks for food before I'd healed up enough to find my way to a port, a ship, and into the stars. I guess over time my interest in the clan's history developed into a desire to know more about the people we were fighting against."

Tali had the sneaking suspicion that Torr's interests had made him the target of much ridicule over the years from his krogan counterparts, everything she'd learnt about his kind in the days before she'd begun her Va'Seras told her that krogans cared little for the ways of other races; all too often the only thing that mattered to them was how well their opponents could acquit themselves in a fight. Not wanting to remind Torr of any misery he'd been subjected to, the shrewd quarian kept the thought to herself. Instead, as the silence grew stronger, she gave voice to the question she'd originally come to have answered.

"Torr, I have to know. I have to hear it from your lips." She sucked in her breath, steadying herself before her words burst from her mouth like atmosphere through a hull breach. "What you did to the turian last night... was all that violence really necessary?" She hesitated, unwilling to give voice to the phantom from her nightmares. "Di-did he really deserve it?"

Torr was silent for a time and when he did speak it was with such conviction that it immediately unnerved the quarian. "Did he deserve it?" He echoed. "Was the violence necessary? It got us the information we wanted didn't it? It might have seemed brutal to you Tali but could you have come up with a better way to make him talk in the timeframe we had?" He ploughed on without waiting for an answer.

"I'm violent because it's in my nature kid, it's who I am, it's who I was born to be. War and blood and pain and death are all the krogan live for. It's all we are and it's all we'll ever be." His angry rant abruptly subsided and a sobering silence filled the room before he spoke again. "Krovak Torr tried to change that once. He failed." His gaze switched back to Tali who almost flinched at the intensity in his eyes. "And now he lives as a proper krogan should, on a station where a fight can always be found, in a system that has the highest death rate in the known galaxy, where his life trickles slowly by while he waits for the one who can finally grant him the glorious battle death every krogan demands."

Again, the old warrior's words died away and Tali could think of nothing to say to break the pregnant silence between them. The bitterness with which he'd spoken had sent a shiver down her spine and made her all the more reluctant to broach the subject again. Evidently Torr's feelings about his race's attitude were deep seated. Eventually he spoke again in a much calmer, more resigned tone.

"So to answer your question Tali, I was violent with him because I'm a krogan and because here, strength and a willingness to be viciously brutal are all that is respected. What I did to him was the fastest way to get him to talk; it was a means to an end, and the end proved it justified the means."  
"There are still limits Torr." Tali replied quietly, loath to speak but steadfast in her belief that no living being deserved to have been treated so harshly.  
"Not for a krogan." He pointed out, the gentle shake of his head cementing the subtle rebuke.  
"You really think that little of your own people?" She ventured, unsure of what he was insinuating.  
"Take a look around this room kid," he replied with a wave of his hand, "just one glance will fill your eyes with dozens of cultural classics from across the galaxy. Ancient plays and philosophical texts, grandiose novels and detailed chronicles of galactic history. All these books, all these cultural statements and not one of them written by a krogan hand." Before she could stop herself Tali's eyes flickered uncertainly over the small scattering of krogan volumes and Torr immediately spotted the movement even through her visor.

"Ah yes, the sum of my people's contributions to literature. And what are they? The brash boastings of a long dead warlord, the retelling of the Battle of Kur, site of Shiagur's greatest victory." He shook his head in bitter annoyance. "Nothing but war and bloodshed. That is all my kind have to offer this galaxy and it's all we've ever known. Tell me Tali, what kind of culture is that? When you hold up the cultural achievements of my kind against the beautiful splendor of the asari or the scientific advancement of the salarians, what justification have we in being called a cultured race?"

"Every sentient species in this galaxy has grown and matured throughout the millennia, as a race they have gotten older and wiser, learning what practices lead to self destruction and putting them aside. They've become a people worthy of respect. Meanwhile the krogan have been simply beating the hell out of each other since the void first spat them out." Torr sank back into his chair and glowered in disgust at the hardened floor. "It frustrates me to no end, seeing what we truly are, but there's nothing Krovak Torr can do to change it. No self-respecting krogan is gonna listen to a lecture from a has-been." His eyes abruptly tracked up to Tali as if he just remembered she was still there. "It might aggravate me Tali, knowing what our people are, but ultimately I'm not going to apologize for being what I am."

Tali suddenly got the sense that she was finally seeing the real side of Krovak Torr for the first time and she wasn't sure she agreed with his view of himself. Before she allowed caution to get the best of her the quarian moved to set him straight. "If that's all you think the krogan are capable of, why are you helping Ren and me? Why did you help Rikka and all the others so long ago?" Riding on a wave of sudden confidence, the engineer pushed on before he could respond.

"Whatever you might think of the rest of your kind you're more than them Torr. What you've done for us while we've been here has already proven that. Would any other krogan open his house to strangers? Guide them through a station that would surely have chewed them up and spat them out in any other circumstance? Damn it Torr you were willing to take bullets for us last night!" Tali caught herself, abruptly aware of how self-righteous she sounded. She brought her voice back under control before continuing. "Even if you refuse to see it, you're better than you think you are.

The old krogan was looking at her in silence, his face an unreadable mask. As time seemed to stretch after her outburst, Tali began to feel increasingly unnerved. _Have I said too much? Did I cross the line?_ Her fears were allayed when Torr exhaled a heavy sigh of resignation. "I think it's too late for me kid, ol' Krovak Torr's been set in his ways too long to change them now."  
Tali shook her head, unsure if she felt disgusted with his attitude or just his unwillingness to see what, to her at least, was plainly in front of their faces.  
"I can't make you change your mind Torr, we both know you're better than you're making yousrelf out to be, you're just refusing to see it."  
"I'm not asking you to help me Tali'Zorah." The rebuke was there, however disguised and Tali suspected the krogan was coming to the end of his patience for the current topic. Perhaps childishly, she refused to allow him the last word on the matter.  
"That's true, you aren't. As a matter of fact you're being foolish and stubborn. But when you act as though you care about someone, expect to see the favour returned."

Tali moved for the door, aware of Torr's stubborn eyes tracking her movements. She turned back to face him a final time, fingers hovering over the door key. "Don't ask me to be your guest and live in your house without _some_ kind of recompense."  
The door slid open with a soft whooshing, the security features putting up no fight from this side.  
"The fleet was family to me once, and they will be again but for now I've only got you and Ren left."  
She squared her shoulders and stepped through the door, her final words barely audible as it slid shut leaving the krogan behind her.

"Where I come from, family looks after each other."


	17. Chapter 17:  Exorcism

**Chapter 17 – Exorcism**

Tali'Zorah's steps took her away from Torr's hidden library and off on a dejected wandering across the house until she eventually found herself staring down at the familiar worn surface of the kitchen tabletop. Her conversation with the krogan was still paramount in her mind and she replayed the encounter over and over again, always wondering if saying something different, or perhaps not saying anything at all, might have resulted in a different outcome. With sudden realization Tali saw how her attention had switched from her concerns about the nightmare she'd had to worry for her friend's wellbeing. She'd never pictured Torr as being the quitting type and she refused to believe it now. Cynical he may well be, but never a defeatist.

What had initially been pity was slowly morphing into anger at his short sightedness and Tali knew she couldn't afford to entertain those thoughts for long. Well did she know that it would place a barrier between herself and Torr which, however small to begin with, could swiftly become a unbreachable wall. She'd already seen it happen to herself and her father, however much she'd tried to prevent it. Determined to get her mind off the situation Tali stood and was about to head upstairs to re-calibrate her Omni-tool and catch up on the latest extranet news when a door at the rear of the shack opened with the soft groan of metal.

Immediately Tali's hand slid down to the pistol on her thigh that she'd had the presence of mind to keep with her at all times since arriving on this rock. The grip extended into her palm with a comforting thump and she lifted the weapon high, bracing it in a two handed grasp just as she'd been trained. She moved for the open doorway adjoining the room the intruder would have just entered, grateful that she'd always been light on her feet. Something in the room beyond rustled a quiver of something she was beginning to recognize as anticipation ran through her. The quarian steadied her breathing, aware of the tension in her muscles but unable to do anything about it. Determined not to rush blindly ahead as she'd done in the warehouse only hours before, Tali dared a glance around the corner of the oversized arch.

All the tension went out of her in an instant and she turned the corner separating the two rooms with her gun hanging loosely at her side. "Ren?"  
Her fellow pilgrim turned to her with a start, his body language indicating surprise followed swiftly by happy enthusiasm.  
"Tali! Good to see you up and about." His head tracked the Kessler pistol. "Expecting trouble?"  
If it wasn't for the playful tone, Tali might have treated his enquiry with a proper explanation. As it was, she simply stowed the weapon and shrugged. "I don't know, are you planning on giving me some?"  
The Lieutenant chuckled. "Well actually I was going to offer you some firearm practise out back if you were feeling up to it."  
Tali stepped into the room, eying Ren's blocky assault rifle that bore the signs of recent use. "I didn't realise we had anywhere i_to/i_ practise, unless you were planning on using the passersby."  
"Now there's a tempting thought, especially with all the vorcha wandering around out there."  
"Already decided you don't like vorcha huh?" Tali remarked casually.  
"After last night? You'd better believe it. Actually if it wasn't for Rola'Jmon I doubt I'd harbour much love for batarians either."  
The engineer was slightly perturbed at how quickly Ren's opinion of the vorcha had formulated itself after just one encounter. Then again, when she recalled the desperate fight to survive she could hardly blame him. Brushing it off Tali moved for the door, very glad of something to take her mind off of matters. "Well then, what exactly are we going to be shooting Lieutenant Ren'Gerrel?"  
He followed her, indicating she should direct her attention to the right of the door with a sweep of his arm.  
"Something I think you'll find quite interesting, Engineer Tali'Zorah."

At the bottom of the alley, where the confined space became a solid dead end, a small crate sat directly in the centre of their vision. Wider than it was tall, the crate spanned much of the alley's width and a selection of holographic targets shimmered behind it. Though only the upper half of the holograms were visible Tali could see that each one was a geth, the familiar headlamps still glowing ominously despite the evidently weak source that was powering them.

Tali turned to Ren, who was already taking up a firing position a few meters further up the alley. She moved to join him with a bemused shake of her head. "Never thought I'd be shooting geth on Omega, but it is something I'm more comfortable with." Tali admitted.  
Ren offered a look that she suspected held a grin underneath it, a suspicion confirmed by his light hearted tone of voice. "Wonder how many 'geth' we've killed between us on the fleet's firing ranges."  
"Not enough." Tal muttered darkly, drawing a chuckle from Ren. "Where are you running that from by the way?"  
"My Omni-tool," he replied with a twist of his forearm, "something my Dad and I installed a few years back when I wanted to practice but was struggling to find time to get to the range. It's a fairly simple program," he explained , "the geth won't do much more than pop in and out of cover and maybe sprint for us every now and then if it spawns a destroyer. I don't really have the space or processing power to run anything more complex. It should be enough for us to work on our aim."  
Tali noticed how he refrained from saying you, knowing full well that the Lieutenant was doing this solely for her benefit having already finished his own practise session long before.

The two quarians, used to working in tight confines, had no trouble getting themselves into a position where they could both shoot and keep out of the other's way. With Ren's Lancer IV assault rifle monitoring the left hand side, Tali took up a symmetrical post to his right, the grip of her pistol rubbing gently against the synthetic fabrics of her suit's palm.  
"Ready?" Ren asked.  
She nodded, eyes narrowing in line with her weapon's sights as she took aim.  
"Alright, set your charge to minimal just so we don't do any real damage to anything. How about we call it 10 points for every regular kill, 20 for a special?"  
Tali, busily tweaking her armament in accordance with his instructions, offered a brief murmur of agreement.  
Ren waited until she'd resumed her combat stance. "Now then, let's see if you can shoot Tali'Zorah."

Tali almost flashed him a last confident smirk but the abrupt materialization of the first target caught her eye. The pistol flared in her hands, the shot going just wide of the mark. A chatter of assault rifle fire echoed in her ears and before she could pull the trigger again, the geth exploded from the waist up. An unobtrusive counter in the bottom corner of her visor's HUD ticked over to ten, with another count below it displaying a flat zero. There was no more time to waste observing it as a flicker from downrange drew both her eye and her aim. The pistol spat again and this time the geth dropped like a stone, pierced directly through the headlamp.

"Nice shot," Ren offered, rising to the challenge and dropping the next target before Tali had even registered it, "looks like last night really sharpened those skills for you."  
Another geth dropped, this time from Tali's fire. "More than you know." She'd be the first one to admit just how much the experience had changed her and Tali suspected she didn't even know the full extent of it all yet. Her performance under fire was far better than she'd ever expected of herself and a subtle whispering at the back of her mind told her it wasn't even close to what she was really capable of. Tali couldn't decide whether that frightened or inspired her.

"What was that all about anyway, the whole 'charge single-handed through the crowd of vorcha that want me dead' thing." Ren asked, settling the stock of his weapon into his shoulder a little better.  
Tali laughed at his description. "I have no idea," she confessed as they both dropped another target with such speed that until the additional points came up, neither quarian was sure who got the kill, "I just saw the turian getting away and I knew I had to do something. I think some part of me realised that the vorcha were stunned, at least at the time, and before I knew what I was doing I was halfway across the warehouse." Tali shuddered involuntarily, causing her next shot to go wide and allowing Ren to claim the kill. "If Torr hadn't been there...I don't know if I'd have made it."  
Her companion nodded with understanding. "It's instinctual, which is a good sign for your reflexes and combat awareness. Bad sign for your longevity though unless you can learn to reign it in. You might be able to get away with stunts like that if you're incredibly lucky, but doing it every time you get the urge is just tempting fate. And unless you have someone behind you who knows exactly what you're doing before even you do, it's going to create chaos for your squad. Gotta have a real box-crew to get through things like that regularly."  
Tali conceded him the point in the same moment that she denied him the next kill. His slang term for the tiny, even by quarian standards, box-like room shared between four naval marines brought forth a pang of longing that she promptly cast aside. "I don't really plan on making this a vocation Ren, I'm content enough with a servo-wrench and a fleet's worth of maintenance problems to busy myself with."

The look Ren presented in response unnerved Tali, giving her a very distressing feeling that he knew more than she did. His ambiguous reply of "I see" didn't help quell the sensation. As another two targets dropped and the silence threatened to hang over their heads like an open air exposure Tali found herself speaking before she'd become fully aware of her own words.

"I had a nightmare last night. It was about the turian, the one Torr and I chased down. I didn't tell you last night because I was afraid of what Torr would say..." the quarian struggled with the words and allowed the soft whine of gunfire to fill her ears, "I don't want to go into details but when we cornered him Torr tortured him, horribly. And I...I stood by and watched Ren. I sat there and said I wasn't going to be a part of it and now all I can think is that I'm as guilty as he is for letting it happen. I should have stopped him," she continued, lost in her own musing, "I should have made him-"  
"Tali!" The shout, while not overly loud, was enough to jar her out of her introspection.  
Ren had paused the firing program and lowered his rifle, the dark reflections of his eyes searching for Tali's own with no small amount of concern. She suspected it wasn't the first time he'd tried to get her attention.

"Look, I don't know what Torr did, hell I probably don't want to know. That's beside the point, you need to let this go. Holding this against yourself is mental suicide."  
She made a motion as if to speak but the navy man cut her off.  
"You don't need to forgive yourself Tali, you need to realise that you did nothing to warrant forgiveness. You did what you could to stop him and Torr went and did it anyway. He knew what he was doing and it's up to him to live with the consequences." Neither quarian needed to remark on how difficult it was going to be for a krogan to come to terms with violence. "He made his own decisions and now he has to live with them. The blood is on his hands, not yours. Don't take accountability for his actions, he wouldn't appreciate it and all it's going to do is feed self-pity for you."  
Tali glanced up at the last sentence, struck by the sudden realization that this was exactly what she had been allowing herself to succumb to.  
Ren seemed to sense that and began to slow his tirade down. "You've gotta let go of this stuff Tali, you've got to-"  
"Move on." She interrupted and though her tone may have been dejected, her posture bespoke a quiet determination.  
Ren relaxed visibly, his broad shoulders slumping back and exuding his familiar, more reserved air as his fingers closed around the re-activation key. "Exactly."

Suddenly a geth that was head and shoulders taller than the others burst from behind the crate and began pounding down the alley, rushing directly for the two quarians with blinding speed. Despite the fact that the program was a simulation Ren hollered an instinctive warning and dropped to one knee, the increased stability of the pose offering him better accuracy as he aimed for the destroyer's legs and emptied his rifle until it overheated. Ignorant of the damage the green hologram charged on, its attention seemingly focused on Tali as the machinist steadily emptied her pistol's charge into it. Muttering curses she dropped the weapon and reached around to the small of her back as Ren pressed himself against the alley wall to avoid the inevitable impact.

As the geth destroyer closed the last few meters, a deadly flamethrower gripped in its robotic talons, Tali's weapon of choice barely had time to morph into firing readiness before the quarian swung it into a steady two-handed grip and pulled the trigger with all her might. The shotgun roared and bucked in her arms, a cluster of lethal flechette ripping directly into the chest of the geth with scarcely a fragment going wide of the target.

The hologram fizzed and died, the last data-strewn remnants scattering into the air not thirty inches in front of her. As a cloud of particles drifted past the cheek of her visor Tali became aware of the soft tremor in her hands and the high-pitched, relieved laughter coming from Ren'Gerrel's emulator. "Bloody hell." The Lieutenant managed, struggling to get back on his feet. "That was..._bloody hell_."  
Tali, suppressing her own grateful chuckle at his difficulties, offered a hand which Ren gladly accepted. "What was that all about anyway, diving out of the way and letting me take the hit? What kind of a man are you?" She teased.  
"Oh believe me, if it'd been a real geth with real weapons I'd have maybe jumped in front of you right before he fired; but seeing as a virtual program wasn't going to kill me, just hurt a hell of a lot, I figured I'd save the iddensa for another day."  
"Very noble of you."  
"I thought so."

Then the implications of his words set in. "Wait, what do you mean it would have hurt?"  
Ren managed to look distinctly uncomfortable and apologetic all in the same moment. "Well the regular geth aren't programmed to fire at us but the destroyers kinda have this little trick where if they actually manage to collide with you, the holo overloads your shields. It's an old dodge from marine bootcamp, stopped the trainees from getting too comfortable.  
Tali planted her hands on her hips. "And you didn't think to warn me of that?"  
He offered an awkward shrug. "You took him out didn't you?"  
She said nothing but as she knelt to pick up her pistol, a gentle squeeze of the trigger sent a low powered round into Ren's right foot.  
The trickster hopped back with a yip of pain. "Hey that smarts!"

* * *

With the firing range closed down the two quarians were busily comparing their scores, with the ever increasing kill count being a surprisingly close run. As the final geth exploded into a shower of sparks behind the crate it appeared that Ren had edged the competition by a solid thirty points. He was close to closing the replay video down when the scaled down hologram of the geth destroyer materialized and began storming toward the two miniature quarians.

"Ah, and to think I almost forgot about this part."  
Tali said nothing, but craned her head to see the replay from a better angle, as intrigued as Ren to see what exactly had transpired. Watching the destroyer fall apart mere inches away from her tiny hologram made her hair stand on end. As the points clocked in an extra twenty for her Ren closed the video with an appreciative whistle. "Keelah you're a good shot, are you sure you didn't spend a couple of days at the shooting range back on the _Rayya_?"  
Tali was having trouble believing the quarian in the vid was her. "Not really, just the basic stuff when we were getting ready for Pilgrimage. Before that I spent most of my free time repairing circuit boards and ion conductors."  
"Must've been an interesting life over there," Ren remarked as he closed the video down, "when you spend your life on a military ship there's not a lot of free time and even less ways to spend it. Even less so when you've got a career to live up to."  
"I don't know," Tali's contradiction came as a surprise, "I was pretty devoted to my work too. Although I always had too much fun to ever think of it as work. Even on the days off that Bardi made me take I was still reading about the latest circuit bypass the salarians had come up with."

"Sounds like you didn't get much of a life outside of your career either." Ren replied without thinking.  
"I didn't say that," Tali responded mischievously, "when you're on a ship as large as the Rayya it's hard not to get drawn into all the big cultural events. My roommate was notorious for getting me to back her up when she wanted to go goshing for boys, which was often."  
Ren cringed in visible sympathy. "She was that bad huh?"  
She nodded with a chuckle. "Worse. But if I'm being honest she always made it fun, even if I never cared for it myself." The quarian shook her head at a private memory. "So between Naria'Pael and the big diplomatic summits I got to go to with my father , you could say I had something of a life."  
"I had a couple of friends in the fleet", Ren reminisced, "other kids wanting to be officers. Ray'Jar was the oldest of us and Hashen'Gazu wasn't much younger than me, but our assignments and work rotas often conflicted so we rarely got to talk, let alone see anything of each other."  
Tali nodded, knowing well how conflicting work schedules could be difficult to work around. "I think other than Naria, my closest friend was probably Zeras'Boa nar Gedda. He was the only other kid my age I ever saw regularly."  
She looked as if she were about to continue when Ren interrupted. "Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?"  
"You probably have," Tali clarified, "he was being tutored to become a diplomat. He was at a lot of the Admiral's meetings; in fact that's how I first met him, when we were both attending a holo-conference with an outlying volus colony."

Ren's respect was immediately evident. Diplomats were few and far between amongst the fleet but played a critical role in their people's survival. The front line of contact whenever the Migrant Fleet entered an occupied system, it was the duty of the diplomats to initiate communication and begin bartering for trading rights, supplies or whatever else the fleet needed most that had forced them out of unoccupied space. Because of this, the diplomats were natural public speakers as well as unspoken masters of the galactic trading arts. It was often said about the fleet that a quarian diplomat could haggle better than a volus.

The Diplomatic Enclave also served in law and order roles amongst the fleet, assisting in both the creation and distribution of the Population Control Edict of recent years was predominantly their handiwork. They had even been known to serve in high-profile cases of public trials, although these occasions were rare.

It was considered a great honour to have a diplomat serving aboard your vessel; captains had been known to shamelessly court the favour of an upcoming apprentice just before they left to begin their Pilgrimage in the hope that the youth would desire a place on the captain's ship upon their return. If a captain failed to convince the child that he belonged on the crew of his vessel it was unlikely he would get another chance within the span of his tenure. Very few quarians were ever considered for such a position, and even less came close to getting the vital roles. Still fewer rejected the chance to serve on one of the three Liveships with the core of the Enclave, effectively making them open to recruitment by the rest of the fleet.

"You're probably right," Ren decided after a moment's thought, "I can't recall any specific encounters with him but chances are I've seen him at one of my father's functions. Can't believe you got shippy with a bloody diplomat though."  
Tali grinned. "Well he wasn't a diplomat back then and we were the only kids that got dragged to these things half the time. Without wanting to disrespect my father, hearing about yet another impending food shortage is _really_ boring when you're seven years old."  
"Were you both the same age?"  
She shook her head. "Zeras was a good three years older than me but that never stopped us talking. Heh, we used to make fun of some of the other diplomats and captains there. Zeras was really good at imitating their voices, more than once he had me biting my tongue to keep from breaking into a fit of giggles."  
Ren's tone bellied his amusement. "I'll bet that impressed your father."  
"Sometimes being obscured behind a visor isn't such a bad thing."  
"I'll bet. So what happened to the guy, did he ever make it as a diplomat?"  
Tali shrugged. "He's still out on his Pilgrimage last I heard, but he left a good three years ago now. Maybe someone saw his potential and hired him."  
The Lieutenant thought he could hear a slight wistfulness in his friend's voice, but when she didn't elaborate, he didn't press the issue.

"Still, nice to know you had a good life. Friends, family, getting to see snatches of the outside world in those meetings with the aliens."  
"It wasn't all as perfect as it sounds." Tali replied immediately, thinking of her father.  
"Maybe, but it sure beats living your entire life for work, everything given in the pursuit of a single purpose; after yesterday I'm not even sure it's paid off."  
The engineer bristled slightly, somewhat disgruntled that he'd forgotten about her own levels of dedication so soon. "What do you mean?"  
Ren grimaced to himself. "Another example of me speaking before I think." He admitted. "I er...the fight didn't go so well for me yesterday. I found it hard to maintain composure."  
Tali's annoyance swiftly fled, replaced by a surge of sympathy. "You didn't seem so bad when we stormed the building together, the way I remember it you took down quite a few vorcha very accurately."  
He shook his head. "While things were going right, sure. It was after you'd gone, when the batarians showed up, that was when I started to panic. The battlefield changed and instead of adapting to it, I let it affect me. I let them psych me out. It's moments like that when the people under your command place their lives in your hands and expect you to keep calm and get them out alive and I buggered it up. I'm just thankful that Koliaan was in charge because if I'd been the one giving the orders, we wouldn't be talking right now."

Tali felt a shiver run through her at his last words and with it, a surge of determination. She wasn't going to let the outcome of this conversation be the same as the one with Torr. She would not allow Ren to crumble under the weight of his fears the same way the old krogan had.  
"Ren, you said it yourself remember? You trained to be a naval officer, a commander of ships, not a fleet marine. You can't expect yourself to perform like one in your first gunfight, no matter how many hours you've spent shooting targets that don't strike back."  
Ren's head sank a little. "I know, but it wasn't just my shooting that was the problem. I could hardly stop myself from descending into panic Tali, now what does it say about my leadership abilities, that I could barely be relied on to keep my own head together, let alone anyone else's?"  
Tali laid a reassuring hand on Ren's forearm, causing the elder quarian to look up. "It says you're a man who needs to learn to overcome his fears, just like the rest of us. And that by doing so, you'll become the leader you desire to be."  
He was silent for a time, looking at her with evident surprise before his gaze travelled to his feet as he slowly pondered her words. Just as the silence was threatening to become oppressive he swung back to Tali again.

"When did you get so smart?"


	18. Chapter 18: One Step Forward

**Chapter 18 – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Days began to slide by once again as Torr worked to have his widespread network of contacts chase up the lead the turian had given them. Claiming that he was unwilling to expose his guests to another potential firefight, Torr was adamant that the two pilgrims were not to try and investigate Korlus Shipping for themselves. Although this obviously rankled Ren slightly, something Tali put down to that insufferable male pride, she had no qualms about avoiding another gun battle; it had already taken her hours of scrubbing and careful disinfecting to remove the last stains of blood and gore from her veil. Instead, as she slowly healed from the mental scars of the warehouse skirmish, the enterprising engineer became determined to use the lull to better prepare for what she saw as the inevitable encounter with the being behind all this.

She spent much of her time practising with Ren at his portable 'range' and pressing him for everything he knew about infantry tactics, firing techniques and the optimum ranges for her weapons, information the aspiring Lieutenant was only too happy to divulge. When they weren't discussing military procedure Tali had Ren running her through the stripping down, maintaining and subsequent re-construction of her firearms until she'd gotten the technique thoroughly ingrained in her memory. Admittedly it only took three sessions to master each weapon but she liked the time it gave them to reminisce about life on the fleet and share dreams of what they'd do once they got back. Though she suspected Ren knew she'd mastered it long before, it took him until their fifth session to broach the subject. Tali had admitted as much and instead of working to disassemble their gear, she took to schooling Ren in the potential applications of Omni-Tools in combat, an area she had begun exploring with undivided attention in the wee hours of the morning.

If the battle had taught her anything it was that she felt drawn to rely on her Omni-Tool just as much as her weapons in combat. The tech mines she'd managed to produce at such short notice, the neural shock, all of it hovered around the forefront of Tali's mind. Curious, she'd spent the last few days searching the extranet for catalogued offensive uses of Omni-Tools in combat. Many of the results were sparse in detail but the articles often gave her enough to launch a more thorough search that turned up less results, but contained more detailed explanations of how the combat modification worked. Much of what she found had restricted access, pages that she avoided as best she could unless no other option was available. To her own surprise summoning up the courage to bypass the encryption protocols and piggyback her own signal onto those of legitimate access accounts was the hardest part of the rudimentary hack. She found herself flitting through accounts of Omni-Tool combat written by hardened Eclipse mercenaries, an organisation she understood to be filled to bursting with a mixture of asari biotics and, more interestingly, salarian techs. Within hours of recording their instructions Tali had begun implementing her own variants of their programs, minor tweaks and linking to hotkeys ensuring that every mod was completely her own.

Tali had also moved to explore the packed storage room she'd discovered whilst traversing Torr's home. She'd spent an entire day sorting through the assorted junk he had gathered over the years; another half day disappeared while she worked to catalogue and stack it all, clearing herself a little space to work in. Ren had been a massive help with the manual labour, a task he took to with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. Tali suspected he was just glad of the opportunity to engage in something physical, though he often had to rescue her from whichever weathered trinket had managed to sidetrack the curious engineer. By the end of the second day the Lieutenant was complaining of the ache in his limbs, soreness from muscles he'd never had to use before. Tali, more used to manual labour, often had a smirk playing underneath her tinted faceplate and her gentle teasing had only served to spur her friend's good-natured complaints.

Torr had kept largely to himself after their discussion and Tali wasn't sure if she was grateful for that or not. Understanding the reasoning behind his actions had made them marginally easier to accept but his talk of doom for himself and his kind still unnerved her. Her trepidation toward the krogan had been replaced by a sense of pity and uncertainty. Tali still wasn't sure how to handle him following his revelations but she was grateful that they'd at least managed to patch up the damage between them. Torr meanwhile seemed content to let her figure things out for herself. Catching her in the midst of re-organising the storage room had prompted a smile from the old man, resulting in a similar reaction from the young girl who had learned to look beyond the predatory aspects of his gesture.

"I knew I was untidy but I didn't think things were _that_ desperate."  
Tali laid down the combustion manifold she was wrestling with and took a step back, her abdomen flexing as she drew in laboured breaths. "You'd be surprised, I think I found a colony of rettid molas growing back here."  
He took on a stern look. "I hope you didn't destroy 'em, the roots from those things can fetch a pretty price back in asari space. "  
Tali was almost duped, but in the last few days she'd grown better at reading the subtle hints of his expressions. "Actually we gave the plants to the vorcha next door, figured he might enjoy the stomach-ache they'd give him."  
The glare dissolved into a wide grin of approval and Tali couldn't help but feel somewhat pleased with herself. The krogan gestured at the room with an outstretched hand. "You kids want some help with this stuff?"  
"Ren and I have got it pretty well stowed away." Came the friendly response.  
Torr nodded and Tali suspected he understood the pilgrim's need for companionship perfectly. "I'm still chasing up on that lead for you, I'll let ya know when something turns up."

The quarian had been tempted to ask Torr for the freedom to explore his widespread library but she suspected this was a sanctuary of sorts for their host and after everything he'd already done, demanding this extra privilege would be beyond insulting. However, as much as she rationalized it the knowledge that there were ancient relics of her people sitting behind that wall, likely pre-dating the exile, was slowly eating away at her. Selfishness told her that even one of those three books would be enough of a Pilgrimage gift to get her accepted aboard any vessel she chose, as well as being more than enough to help her live up to what was expected of her. Her father would even be pleased with her accomplishment; she could almost picture him, gently tapping the base of his voice modulator, the first time she would ever have seen him give her that sincere smile.

Tali cast the daydreams away with a scowl and blocked the books from her mind with a fresh resolve. She wasn't going to take them, so it wasn't ever going to happen. Pointless to think about the effects of doing so. Instead her mind joined her fingers as she worked to restore an old biotic amplifier, a device that she'd never encountered before due to the scarcity of biotics amongst the quarian race. Though the amp was hopelessly outdated by modern standards Tali often found it beneficial to gain an understanding of the older construction and engineering principles present in such ancient tech. More often than not she could compare it with the latest versions and trace the similarities between the two, mentally charting the various stages of evolution between the various phrases of design. It was a time consuming technique, even for one as skilled as her, but the understanding it brought with it was well worth the effort in Tali's opinion. Many of her own ideas and modifications that Bardi'Reska had permitted aboard the Rayya had stemmed from comprehending the many facets of intergalactic design.

It was about a week after she'd begun dissecting and repairing Torr's relics, her third week on Omega, that Torr announced they'd caught a break.  
"My guy investigating Korlus Shipping came through for us, turns out the company's a front, just like the turian expected, but the guy behind it was a human alright."  
"Did we get him then?" Ren wanted to know. "Is it finally over?"  
"It don't end there," Torr replied with a shake of his head, "seems this human has been running things here but he's been taking his own orders from someplace off-station. My contact tracked his communications to Neidus, a frozen wasteland off in the Pylos Nebula."  
Ren's frustration was evident in the subtle tension of his muscles. "Always something else isn't there? Another bloody dent in the bulkhead."  
Tali shot him a sympathetic glance, she too was getting increasingly annoyed by the never ending complications in this hunt. "Did they at least find out why they've been after us all this time?"  
The krogan didn't have much good news for them there, judging by the grimace that passed across his face. "Not much to go on with that either, the human's been kept in the dark himself. All he knows is that his employer wanted your ship taken out with no survivors, everyone had to die. When he found out two of you had made it here he got the order that neither of you were to make it off this rock alive."  
A shiver ran down Tali's spine. _So there it is, my very own death sentence pronounced within hours of leaving the fleet and I still don't know why.  
_Ren sank back into his chair with a terse shake of his head. Tali was surprised to hear a sudden laugh from him a moment later. "Not bad going though when you think about it, I expected to piss a few aliens off once we got out into the galaxy, never figured I'd manage it before ever setting foot outside a quarian ship."

Tali was glad someone could appreciate the humour of the situation, though she had to admit it they would have quite the story to tell once they got home. _If they got home._ Another thought struck her. "Torr did he say anything about Sarel'Geta?"  
The krogan's mottled face collapsed into a mask of confusion. "Who now?"  
"Sarel," Tali tried again, recalling that the two had never met, "he was the pilot of the _Tarmeena_ when we were attacked, our cruiser sent a shuttle to collect him from the docking bay here on Omega."  
Torr shook his head. "Never said nothing 'bout that, guess this guy only cared about the passengers."  
_Or gave up on Sarel once he was aboard the _Norath. Tali decided, but kept the thought to herself. The Flying Officer would be back on the fleet by now and likely had no idea someone may want him dead and they had no way of warning him. It seemed that they now had another reason to see an end to this.  
"Well we've got the coordinates and we finally know where this bosh'tet is hiding," declared Ren, "I say we go force him to introduce himself."  
"Agreed," Torr rumbled his assent, "I've already booked us passage on a shuttle out, we'll be leaving in a couple hours. Make sure ya got everything; when this is done I doubt you'll be coming back here again."


	19. Chapter 19: Queen of the Damned

**Chapter 19 – Queen of the Damned**

The well manned doors of Afterlife loomed large ahead of Avo Nid, the sight of the red neon lettering sending a brief chill down his spine. The volus' consternation was not aided by the twin pillars of flame that burned forebodingly on either side of the sign, nor the presence of so many brutish and well armed guards that staffed the entrance. Batarians, krogans and even an elcor stood silent watch, speaking only to placate the more foolish beings in the crowd that complained at the wait to enter. With a strict limit on the number of people allowed in Afterlife at any given time, the guards would sometimes accompany their words with displays of physical force when the potential patron threatened violence which, given Aria's reputation amongst the station, didn't occur very often.

Nid approached slowly, skirting the lines and held back more by fear of what lay beyond than the intimidating posture of the guards. Judging from the dirty glares he was getting by the mass of beings in line, the volus was the only one amongst them who didn't want to go inside. The guards had long since noticed him and as he drew closer one of the krogans waved him toward the back of the queue. Ignoring the rock in the pit of his stomach, Avo forced himself on until he came within earshot of the bouncers.

"There's a line volus, you want in, you go through _it_ first." Though krogan often sounded like they had no patience for him, Nid had a feeling this one was particularly agitated tonight.  
"I've a meeting with Aria." Avo cursed himself that his words came out akin to a squeak.  
"You and every other lowlife on this rock." The guard growled, "I'm not gonna say it again: Join the line."  
"She requested to see me," he tried again, increasingly desperate, "it's Nid, Avo Nid. I should be on the list."  
The krogan glowered at him in silence and Avo had the uncomfortable feeling that he was picturing what the volus' insides would look like strewn across the walkways. Finally, just as Avo was beginning to think he might not make it out of the encounter alive the krogan activated his communicator.  
"Sanak, it's Garok. I've got a volus here, says Aria wants to see him. Name's Nid. Avo, yeah."  
There was a pause as the invisible Sanak relayed his orders.  
Eventually the krogan confirmed what he'd heard and shut down the link, blowing a disgruntled snort through his nostrils as he turned his gaze back on Nid. "Don't often get runts like you to see the boss," he chuckled as the door slid open behind him, "try not to get killed on your way through the club."

One of his batarian colleagues barked a laugh at the joke but Avo blocked them both from his mind as he moved past, well aware of the angry outcry from the people waiting in line. As the bouncers moved to silence them Nid stepped across the threshold and the door slid shut behind him, sealing him in a long, tunnel-like corridor that glowed with the soft flare of artificial lighting. A smattering of chairs lined the sides, with very few being occupied, most patrons preferred to spend their time deeper inside the club where most of the action took place. Life-sized holograms of graceful asari dancers in increasingly revealing outfits twisted and turned on the curved walls beside him as he made his way down the corridor. Avo began to feel increasingly uncomfortable with their distractions, though he could not deny their sensual qualities. He focused his vision on the ground in front of him, closing his mind off from the vivid images. He would need all his wits to survive the next few minutes and distractions, however beautiful, would spell doom. Ahead lay a check in-desk manned by a human and a pair of alluring asari who graced Avo with flirtatious winks and waves of the hand. He ignored them both, focusing his attention on the human who demanded, in a very bored tone, to know if he had any weapons to leave at the desk. Knowing well that no firearms were permitted inside, Avo shook his head and submitted to the customary body scan. When the results turned up negative he was gestured through as the tunnel's inner door split open.

The pulsing music hit him like a wave and the stark vermillion haze of the lighting stung his eyes sharply, even under the constrictive confines of his pressure suit. Even here by the entrance he could feel the abrupt sensation of claustrophobia attempting to set in from the sheer density of the crowds. There was a strong stench of intoxicants that permeated the air, the scent mingling with that of the sweat-soaked dancers and overdosed bar patrons. It wasn't an unfamiliar environment to Nid but he rarely partook in such acts himself, he found it all did little more than dull his mercantile skills. High above him a group of asari girls swung about lasciviously on a series of metal poles much to the delight of many lustful spirits down below, both male and otherwise. Giant holograms broadcast their every movement to those seated further back from the cylindrical platform that seemed to hang from the ceiling and Nid had little doubt that this position of "honour" was highly contested amongst the dancers.

All around the club the familiar distortions of artificial light sources flickered and danced for his attention. A pair of drinking glasses rotated above the bartender's counter and flames, both virtual and physical crackled and roared respectively throughout the circular room. As the music dropped into a momentary lull and his ears again began to pick out faint semblances of conversation amongst the masses, Avo eyed up the distance in front of him. Knowing that crossing the floor would be an ordeal in and of itself, particularly for a creature of his stature that was rarely present within the club, he resigned himself to getting it over with as quickly as possible. Drawing in a particularly loud breath to steady himself, the wily arms merchant delved into the heaving throng.

It took a solid three minutes to work his way across a distance that wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds normally, with much of his time taken up waving off pro-active asari dancers and avoiding the glares of the more intimidating characters in the club. Experience had taught him that the dancing girls demanded a high fare to begin with and expected even more from a volus client simply because of their reputation as money makers. He had no intention of fulfilling their ulterior motives tonight.

Ahead a pair of staircases loomed, each one manned by a single guard and leading up to the exclusive booth where the club's infamous owner was so often found. As Avo Nid approached the left hand staircase the lone turian guard fixed his gaze on the volus, a fierce skull-like clan tattoo highlighting the angles of his face in stark white lines. "You Avo?"  
The arms dealer nodded, knowing full well that the question was unnecessary. Since being scanned at the entrance he knew the results would have been forwarded to Aria's Lieutenants and subsequently to any guards that would be found along his path. In truth the question was more for the guard's own desire for reassurance than any real security requirement.

Avo moved past as the guard stepped aside and waved him up and couldn't help but steal a glance at the turian's assault rifle. Created by the human-based Ariake Technologies, the Tsunami V was an extremely capable weapon at close to mid ranges, with an almost unrivalled stopping power which, coupled with its high rate of fire, meant it was devastating in the proper hands. The only drawback was the lack of accuracy at longer ranges but even Nid knew that given the tight confines of the club, this was hardly a concern. It seemed little had changed since his last visit, Aria still equipped her men with an unerring sense of practicality.

His breath was coming in shorter gasps by the time he had ascended the stairs and Avo once more cursed the taller alien races that made his life such a misery with their strange demand for awkwardly positioned steps. His flustering drew a number of glances from the seemingly random assortment of beings that sat in wide booths around the top of the platform, their features almost universally malevolent whether it be through the presence of scars, hulking muscle or the deadly glint in their eyes.

As Nid paused to get his bearings he realized the booth had changed little in the time since his last visit. There were more couches lining the walls now and there were a few more humans than he recalled but the layout was much the same. Behind him lay a cluster of tables and chairs, all of them manned by highly reputed mercenaries, hackers and assassins in Aria's employ. To Avo's front stood a gaggle of trusted Lieutenants that still hovered expectantly around their master. He recognized the formation though many of the faces were new to him, a silent tribute to the dangers of their positions. And of course, the final testament to the lack of change was the violet skinned asari that stood silently, arms folded and with her back to the volus, her gaze affixed on the revelry taking place far below. It seemed the self proclaimed CEO's knack of appearing ever watchful and omnipotent had yet to fail her.

Aria T'Loak remained with her back to him, leaving her very capable court of lieutenants, mercenaries and beasts to pin Nid with intimidating glares. As the seconds ticked by he began to find it difficult to ignore the almost completely bare skinned asari that cavorted shamelessly just outside the glass walls of the booth.  
"It's been a long time Avo." Aria finally declared and she still had the same ice in her tone he recalled from their last encounter. "I hope the years have been profitable for you."  
The way she'd left her words open hinted that she knew more than enough of his business for lying to be an exercise in foolishness. Instead the volus inclined his head slightly, as close to a bow as his kind got. "They have." His words echoed with a confidence he didn't feel.  
"Indeed," the ice queen agreed, turning to face him, "and the last few weeks have certainly been very lucrative for you."  
For all his fear the asari's innate knowledge of his finances immediately grated on Avo. "If this is about my recent transactions I can assure you I've paid my due, I have the records to prove it."  
One of the more heavily built batarians shifted his stance, the movement almost causing Nid to cringe away in response. He held back the urge at the last second, but knew Aria would have picked up on his momentary lapse.  
"Pity the volus that doesn't master accounting," Aria replied casually, settling herself on the couch and causing the lewd dancers on the podium behind her become framed over either shoulder, "but how much you've been selling is not my concern. _What_ you've been selling is of more interest to me."  
The volus' paws began to stray together. "You know I don't discuss my client's details, that includes what they purchase from me."  
"You know who I am Avo. Make an exception." Somehow the pleasant tone of her voice frightened him more than if she'd spoken the words in anger.  
"You're a businesswoman Aria," Avo tried, desperate to worm his way out of the situation, "surely you can see the predicament I'm in?"

A barely detectable scowl crossed the asari's face for just a second, the first overt sign of her displeasure. Nid had an uncomfortable feeling Aria had let the gesture slip for his benefit.  
"Have you heard of the batarian special forces group called the Eyes of Anhur before Avo?"  
Nid's was acutely aware that the sudden shift in conversational focus was leading up to something but clan mothers help him if he knew what it was. The knowledge that Aria was completely dominating the exchange did little to quell his ever-increasing fears as he racked his mind for answers. "I don't think I've ever dealt with them." He admitted finally.  
"Wrong." Aria interjected immediately. Clearly he had provided her with the answer she'd known he would. "You encountered them very recently in fact, your turian client, the one you tried to set up? He'd hired them for his own personal protection."  
"I've had many turian clients in the past months..." Avo tried, feigning ignorance.  
"And you've only sold Lodnil Arms TX-12 missiles to one of them."  
Nid started, both enraged and terrified that she could have such boundless knowledge of his dealings. Aria picked up on his concern immediately.  
"Of course I know about the missiles, you didn't honestly think that both experimental and decommissioned weapons tech is going to slip by me unnoticed did you?"  
The arms dealer moved to respond but she cut him off. "It matters little in the grand scheme of things. The missiles were sold, bought and used, my interest lies in the aftermath of their firing."  
Avo's gaze trailed around the room slowly, the rotund figure suddenly very unsure of his footing. "I don't know what you-"  
"We tracked the ship they hit," the asari queen explained, "followed the quarians who somehow made it out alive. We know they met up with a krogan and we know all three of them came to see you. A week later your next deal goes bad, there's sightings of the quarians and the krogan cornering the turian and the Blue Suns you hired for protection get caught in a gunfight with ex-batarian special forces."  
Aria's attention was momentarily distracted as one of her subordinates stepped up and silently passed a datapad to her. When she merely examined the contents and nodded approval Nid realised the batarian must rank highly in her organisation to be permitted such an intrusion. He cast the information into the far pockets of his mind as Aria turned her attention back to him.

"Your client hired the Eyes for his own protection and-"  
Nid's head was already shaking emphatically, unable to prevent his own interruption. "No, he came with a squad of vorcha, not batarians."  
The pirate queen's condescending tone bespoke her strained patience at his outburst. "And when the turian you were after fled and the vorcha were killed off, who do you think those black armoured troops were who stormed your warehouse? Or had you run so far away by then that you never saw them?"  
Nid bristled despite himself, but he was smart enough to know any rebuttal would only result in further self-condemnation. She seemed to enjoy cowing him so effectively, judging from the sadistic smile that played at the edge of her lilac lips.

"Your little band of Blue Suns protectors and their quarian friend managed to kill quite a few of the Eye's number before you escaped and one thing about Anhur's followers; they're take the deaths of their brothers very seriously."  
"Mercenaries die," began a flustered Nid, "I don't see what this has to do wi-"  
"They were so enraged by their companion's deaths that they've declared all out war on the Blue Suns' Omega faction which has put the Suns under a lot of pressure. As a matter of fact I'm surprised they haven't been to collect your head themselves."  
Aria's casual comment sent an involuntary shiver down the volus' spine, exactly as it was supposed to. Too keenly he recalled Koliaan's final words to him.  
"I don't care for the Blue Suns' troubles but the street war between them and the Eyes of Anhur is escalating and it won't be long until it begins affecting my operations. A lot of innocent people are going to get killed if this isn't stopped soon."  
"What do you care for innocents?" The question was out of Nid's mouth before he had time to regret it.  
"Dead people don't pay their cut. Innocent people do." Her cold, calculating logic made sense, but Avo's keen business mind could also see that she could play the situation to her advantage a little further than that. With credit for ending the turf war Aria's favour would increase amongst Omega's residents, allowing her the flexibility to raise the costs of her protection schemes with minimal backlash, should she ever desire. He had little doubt there were other, far reaching benefits that he would not be privy to.  
"Your dealings have started a war Avo, one I didn't need to have to waste time cleaning up. There are going to be repercussions for you, make no mistake but if you want to salvage your business and maybe your life, I need to know who your quarian friends were."  
"I don't think the quarians knew anything about this."  
"I don't care how much they know," she snapped, "I only need the heads of those responsible for this mess. The turian you turned on has long since disappeared, _without_ paying his batarian friends, but he obviously wanted those two quarians dead and they in turn wanted him. With the turian gone that just leaves me with your friends. Now who are they and where can I find them?"

Nid couldn't hide his surprise; like most other citizens he'd been informed that Aria's control over the station was absolute. "You can't find them yourself?"  
Aria's gaze fixed a youthful batarian mercenary who had been standing quietly in the rear of the room. "They've gone underground," she admitted with no small amount of venom, "and it seems my tracker is having some trouble hunting them down. You'd think a couple of quarians with a ten foot krogan bodyguard would stand out a little on Omega wouldn't you?" Though Aria's words were directed at Nid, her piercing glare never left the batarian who tried to shrink into the shadows cast by the poor lighting as best he could. Seemingly satisfied, her attention swung back to Nid who abruptly realised she was still waiting for his answer.  
"I don't know who the quarians were," he began, raising a paw to placate Omega's ruler before she interrupted him, "but I do know the krogan."  
The inherent displeasure melted from Aria's face. "Go on."  
"His name is Krovak Torr," Avo confessed, "he's an old associate of mine, used to work as a bodyguard a few decades ago. He lives up in the Soka district last I heard.  
Aria sank back into her plush couch and appeared to digest this piece of news before turning to the batarian who'd interrupted her earlier. "Send out a description to all patrols and watch stations in Soka, tell them to report back the instant they see him and dispatch a tracker but they are _not_ to engage without my permission."  
The lieutenant nodded and his fingers flew over his datapad. "It's done." He announced a few seconds later.  
"What will you do with him?" Avo held no love for Torr, his question was motivated out of a greedy desire to know exactly how his old friend would perish.  
"Bring him in for questioning, see what he knows about his quarian friends. If the quarians are with him even better, we can collect all three of their heads there and then. With the corpses of those responsible the Eyes will see sense and cut back their attacks, my people and I can deal with the aftermath; the Blue Suns have enough problems of their own to consider retribution."

Aria's hand circled the wisplike stalk of a drinking glass that had sat untended on a nearby table, her delicate fingers gently lifting the pale blue liquid contents to her lips whereupon she downed the beverage in a single gulp.  
Avo wasn't entirely sure if that was his cue to leave but feverently hoped so. He began to edge toward the staircase at the rear of the room, making sure his movements were carefully ambiguous should the icy asari decide there was something else. His caution proved well founded as the deputy batarian abruptly sat upright and moved to hand his datapad to his boss once more. "We've sighted the krogan," he informed her quietly, but not quietly enough to hide the news from Avo, "he's with the quarians. We've got a tracker on them, looks like they're heading for the docking bays on level five."  
Aria studied the report for a moment and nodded. "You know what to do. Take whoever you need."  
The lieutenant dipped his head to the left, a common batarian gesture of respect, and all but raced out of the room, gesturing for a number of the bystanding mercenaries to follow.  
It was all Nid could do to get out of their way and no sooner did he recover from their departure than he found Aria's gaze locked on him.  
"You've done your part Avo, we'll clean up your mess now. I'll be in touch about those repercussions." She stood and turned her back to him, mirroring the pose she'd been in the first time he'd stepped into the chamber.  
As her deputy and his chosen men scurried off across the dance floor below, Avo knew her dismissal was clear. The portly volus arms dealer was only too happy to flee her icy wrath.


	20. Chapter 20: Turbulence

**Chapter 20 – Turbulence**

"You can go when I decide to let you go." Tali had lost track of how many times the turian guard had repeated that phrase in the last fifteen minutes.

Their journey across Omega had been largely problem free, at least until they had reached the access point to the shuttle bay docking ring. For some reason as they attempted to pass through the main entrance a nearby pair of grey-clad mercenaries with no apparent insignia of allegiance to any of the dozen or more mercenary groups to be found on Omega, decided that the ten foot krogan and his quarian friends needed a thorough security sweep before they could proceed. Torr had been arguing vehemently at the delay, insistent that they had urgent business in the docking bays. The turian who had first called them over, a typical example of his race with a particularly gaudish amalgam of facial markings, flatly refused to let them continue until he was satisfied.

"We're authorized to do on the spot security checks whenever we choose and if I don't like the look of you, I'm gonna pull you over for a scan." The turian leant back casually as his colleague waved his Omni-Tool at Torr, the old krogan bristling at the intrusion. "If you keep whining about it, I might even subject you to a body search."  
Torr's teeth bared at the blatant threat. "Try it, runt." The half-step forward the mighty krogan took seemed to swallow the turian in shadow.  
Even Tali was unnerved by the idea. If the turians insisted that she and Ren un-suit in this kind of environment...the quarian doubted she would survive the night. She joined Torr in protest even as the second turian moved to scan her. "We did nothing to warrant this kind of treatment, why can't you just let us through like everyone else?"  
"Omega's rules _Avila_, you don't like it take it up with Aria." Though Tali didn't recognize the turian's strange terminology she spotted Torr flinching just a fraction at the mention of this Aria's name. Even though Tali didn't have any idea what it meant, seeing its effects on Torr sent a cold chill through her bones. "You quarians are all beggars and thieves anyway, you're lucky I'm letting you through at all. In fact," the turian added after a moment's thought, "if I hear reports about stolen ship parts I'm going to come looking for you personally."  
Tali's fear was abruptly replaced with a surge of indignation. _How dare that bosh'tet insult my people like this!_ "_Pisha!_" She spat at him, surprised at her own vehmenence.

The turian held up a placating hand, his other taloned claw shifting the assault rifle in his grip to illustrate his silent point. Tali bit her tongue to keep from miring herself in further trouble as the guard opened his mouth to continue. "I've stopped plenty of quarians wandering about with their pockets full of stuff that didn't belong to them. I've yet to meet one who had something they could prove was theirs. Not that it mattered, a few hours without their suit and they soon learnt not to do it again." The alien chucked at his own joke.

Tali very nearly lunged for him then, but a firm hand on her shoulder made her hesitate. The engineer turned to find Ren staring deep into her visor, the dark maroon of his veil shifting in a gentle headshake of refutal. She sucked in a breath to calm herself and nodded, the tension slipping from her muscles as the Lieutenant retracted his arm. It suddenly struck Tali how silent he had kept throughout the whole exchange, offering no resistance to the security scan the turians swept over him, his 3-D biometric readout rotating for close examination on their Omni-Tools. The turian closed it down with a satisfied nod of approval and Tali realised Ren's scan had finished far sooner than hers and Torr's had. _Perhaps he had the right idea after all._

"Well there's a surprise," the turian decided, his words dripping with mockery, "it turns out you're all clean. I guess I should let you go shouldn't I?"  
Tali had a horrible feeling he was about to come up with some other reason for keeping them there when Torr pre-empted the turian's next move by spinning on his heel and marching furiously toward the shuttle bay. Tali and Ren immediately took off after him, each of them intent on putting as much distance between themselves and the two guards as possible. Half-expecting a shout for them to stop or even a bullet slamming into her mass shields, Tali let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as the trio successfully made it through the enormous door that loomed above the crowd.

Torr kept a considerable pace as they made their way to Bay-94 where the pilot had arranged to meet them. The krogan's bulky frame made the crowds stream around him as he pushed forward, giving Tali and Ren enough space to keep up with him without too much difficulty, though they often found themselves having to adopt a light jog to match Torr's massive strides. By the time they'd reached the elevators Tali's breathing had become slightly strained. As the doors closed and the lift began its slow descent Torr muttered something that her translator failed to catch but though she may not have understood the words, his tone was comment enough. "If that turian's made us miss our flight I swear by Shiagur I'll march back up there, tear his spine from his flesh and beat him to death with it. _After_ I take a pair of shears to his mandibles." Tali kept her comments on that to herself.  
Ren checked his Omni-Tool as the elevator gently chimed the arrival at their stop. "We're about twenty minutes late. That's if he's operating on station time."  
"More than enough time for a pilot to get pissed off." Torr remarked grimly. "Let's move."

The corridors flew by in a whirl as Torr led them through the seemingly endless passages with a certainty that had Tali believing it was the krogan's nose that was finding the way for them rather than his eyes. There was certainly no way hers could keep up with the constantly shifting environment and overwhelming influx of data from countless signs, advertising boards and auditory announcements. Luckily the flux of people they'd left behind on the upper levels were not echoed down here, instead their path was largely an open one aside from the occasional pilot or dock worker that passed. Cargo mechs proved to be the major hazard, their limited programming making them oblivious to the presence of organic lifeforms as they shunted and hefted massive crates and trains of containers from one place to another. Ren very nearly found himself flattened by an automated tram hauler that ran across a network of rails grooved into the floor, the squat, bulky thing zipping around a blind corner at obscene speeds. Fortunately for the automaton, a fleeting, half-mustered curse was all Ren could spare as the trio pushed on.

The small band emerged around a corner to find a giant doorway looming ahead of them, the network of transport rails running through it to parts unknown. Tali could see little of what lay beyond as the dull lighting of the corridors affected her vision and bathed the next room in staggeringly bright light. It was as they approached that her eyes slowly adjusted and as they crossed the threshold, dodging heavy mechs and irate dockworkers, Tali caught her first look at the area and felt suspended in disbelief. They had arrived at the private shuttle bays, a giant concentric circle hewn into the very centre of the asteroid's artificial spire. On these lower levels the space was much more confined as far as the statistics were concerned, but that did nothing to lessen the visual scale of the sight to Tali's eyes. The entire outer edge was lined by a wide, ring like platform that teemed with countless cargo droids, workers, passengers, port officials, guardsmen and more structures that Tali could only begin to guess the purpose of. Seemingly divided into 250 metre sections separated by heavy industrial doors, each section appeared to correspond to a docking bay number, though the ordering of the numbers made little sense to Tali's eye. The first number she saw, painted in faded lettering above one of the doorways, listed itself as DB-57, immediately to its right was DB-29. From what she had learned of Omega's structuring, this was both perfectly normal and still utterly confusing.

Inside each individual docking bay a batch of interspaced platforms extended straight out into the yawning abyss, a raised ramp leading up to either a docked vessel or an empty space. Each platform was accompanied by a slightly offset twin that lay below it at the base of another ramp, the strange configuration helping to maximize the use of space. The network of grooved tracks for cargo transports ran both up and down the ramps and Tali could see more than a few containers being busily unloaded into waiting transports. Whilst the volume of cargo being moved would doubtless be considered pitiful compared to an industrial cargo port, the bay was still a hive of buzzing activity. The level of the noise reminded her of their first few hours aboard the station and the near continuous whine of shuttle engines as new craft arrived and departed at a constant rate felt strangely comforting to Tali.

Ren dropped back to walk beside her as Torr led the way to their destination.  
"I can't believe the space they're wasting here." He confided quietly.  
Tali nodded agreement, her eyes tracking again to the massive open expanse of the docking bay. "They don't seem to value things the way we do."  
"If this is what it's like to live outside of a ship..." Ren shook his head, leaving his thoughts unspoken.  
She finished it for him. _It'll be strange, adapting to the old ways again. Or maybe it's the new ways, _Tali mused, _after all no one on the fleet has ever lived like this before; well, not outside of their Pilgrimage anyway_. She caught sight of Torr entering a nearby docking bay and felt a thrill run through her when she caught sight of the rusty lettering. "C'mon," she urged, playfully elbowing Ren in the ribs, "I think Torr's found our ride off of this rock!"  
Ren paused for a moment in confusion. "How the bloody hell..." Shrugging to himself at Torr's impeccable sense of direction, the naval officer moved off after his friends.

-

Their pilot was a human, and a rather annoyed one at that. "You're late," he insisted, swinging his arms about in an agitated manner, "we were supposed to depart almost half an hour ago."  
Torr's patience, already strained by the over-zealous turian guard, looked to be coming close to breaking point. "We were...detained."  
The human, a tall, gangly and dark skinned individual, looked at him suspiciously. "If you're carrying contraband and I get pulled I swear to whoever's listening that your ass will be the first to get nailed. If there's any smuggler aboard this ship, it sure as hell ain't gonna be the passengers."  
His shoulder length mess of thickly matted and greasy hair bobbed whenever he moved his head and Tali found herself slowly becoming entranced by it. It was the first time she'd seen hair up close for any length of time as humans were one of the few sentient races to possess it. Even the Blue Suns specialist Paladin had kept his hidden under a helmet and things had happened so fast that she'd never really took stock of Silas' short trimmings. As she covertly studied the smuggler Tali could not understand how something that so clearly had the potential to be beautiful had been let go to waste. She decided it was a human issue. _Or perhaps a male one._

As her gaze travelled to the human's ship Tali was struck by just how true the old quarian saying was: Every ship looks like its owner. The craft, a repurposed cargo runner of turian origin if she had to guess, was a long thin thing, the nose of the craft tapering to a fine point and housing a frontal cockpit for the pilot. This then sloped upwards towards the rear of the ship where a pair of high density engines, their exhausts partially covered by overhanging emmission guards, waited to propel the runner through the cosmos. Evidently severe modifications had been made to the original turian design as the short flights normally undergone by cargo runners would not necessitate the ship be fitted with an FTL drive. Tali suspected this addition may have been partially housed in the oversized, under-slung cargo haulage pod, a huge bulk that likely took up half the vehicle's mass. It extended out under the stubby angular wings and ran the entire width of the runner, its depth more than double that of the flight hull. It reminded Tali of some of the ships in the quarian fleet, such as the _Tarmeena_, that had been re-configured for different roles so many times that it was difficult to explain how it may have originally appeared.

"You're lucky my cargo shipment got delayed," the man continued, "I'd have left half an hour ago if I hadn't been made to wait around for it."  
Ren shook his head from where he leant against an empty cargo hauler, the in-built rail system leading up to their docking ramp currently inactive. "It's just a thought, but this whole time you've been complaining you could have been letting us aboard and starting liftoff procedures."  
The pilot looked like he was about to bite back but paused and Tali actually saw the moment when Ren's point sank in. The human decided instead to swallow his pride for the sake of his profits and activated his Omni-Tool to enter the passcode to his shuttle. He glanced around with impatience while he waited for the device to boot, his fingers pausing over the haptic interface just as he glanced past his trio of passengers.

The man's momentary hesitation was enough to rouse Ren's curiosity and the quarian turned to find the previous teeming docking bay all but deserted. Now, in the place of busy haulage mechs and maintenance crews there was a large group of heavily armed aliens scattered across the semi-circular deck in an efficient spread pattern. Their arrival could not have been more than moments ago and as the last few stragglers assumed defensible positions with a clear line of sight on the quarians and their allies, a well built batarian walked up the ramp towards them with a casual, relaxed air that offset the intentions broadcast by the high-grade assault rifle he cradled in his arms.

By this stage both Tali and Torr had realised something was wrong and as the latter glimpsed the new arrivals a low growl resonated from the back of his throat. He fixed the human with a fiery glare. "If you've tried to pull one on me I swear on my ancestors you won't make it out of this dock alive."  
"I don't know anything about this!" He protested, unconsciously backing away a step as he spoke.  
"That's right, he doesn't." Remarked the batarian as he drew closer. "My name is Lamash," he added by way of introduction, "I work for Aria T'Loak. She'd very much like to see you."  
"Aria?" Tali may not have been an expert at reading facial expressions but she thought she saw a flash of uncertainty in the old krogan's eyes as he spokes.  
"Aria." The batarian confirmed. _Evidently he isn't a man of many words._

True to his claims the human immediately laid his passengers on the sacrificial altar. "Hey c'mon," he pleaded in his odd accent, his hands upraised in a gesture of submission as he backed away, "I had no idea Aria was looking for these guys, hell if I did I'd have delivered 'em to you myself."  
The batarian fixed him with a hard stare and Tali abruptly recalled that the two races had a tumultuous history. Judging by the scornful tilting of his head to the right, the batarian certainly harboured no love for the human. "I'm sure you would have. Luckily for you Aria doesn't care about their accomplices, just them." He punctuated the sentence with a jab of his rifle barrel toward the trio.  
"If this is about that turian back at the guard post..." As Torr spoke Tali realised he had shifted his stance slightly, placing more of his body between the batarian's troops and the two quarians.  
"This has nothing to do with the turian." The alien's tone was dismissive, as though this was all just another job.  
"So I can go right?" The human jumped back in uncertainly. "I mean, I got a schedule to keep y'know?"  
"Sure." The batarian offered with a shrug. "Like I said, Aria doesn't care what happens to you."

The human mumbled a stream of thanks so quickly that Tali's translator had difficulty keeping up. As he backed away toward his waiting ship, Torr jumped in on the conversation, his previous uncertainty gone. "Look we've had enough of being harassed by your kind today, I paid good money for passage on this flight and unless you have a damn good reason-"  
The mercenary's eyes narrowed and before Tali had time to register what he was doing the batarian raised the assault rifle in his hands and loosed a quick burst that took the human pilot directly in the back just as he turned to face his ship. The human went down hard and face first, his lack of a personal shield dooming him immediately. An unintentional gasp leapt from Tali's lungs as the deadly stream of mass propelled fragments flew past and she swore she saw Ren flinch.  
The batarian offered neither apology nor comment even as Torr's hand circled around to hover centimetres above his own shotgun. "The hell is wrong with you?" The krogan demanded as the batarian gestured for Torr to stand down with the business end of his rifle.  
He remained unapologetic. "Looks like your flight just got cancelled. Now, you ready to listen? Aria wants you all and you can either be sensible and do what she wants, or you can wind up like him." The nod toward their fallen pilot provided an unnecessary illustration of his point.  
"So, which is it going to be?"


	21. Chapter 21: Exchange

**Chapter 21 - Exchange**  
Torr turned to look back at the body of the fallen pilot and the slowly spreading pool of blood he lay face down in. "I think," he eventually replied after appearing to think it over, "that you can all go back to Aria and tell her that Krovak Torr says to piss off." Torr's submissive tone had kept Lamash off guard and by the time the krogan's words had registered his shotgun was already in his hands, the barrel swinging towards the brash mercenary. The hired killer had enough sense to throw himself backwards as the weapon erupted and the cluster of high-powered fragments stripped him of his shields but left his body intact. The two quarians had been expecting something like this in each and every second of the tension strewn minutes and it was almost a relief to see the encircling ring of Aria's men lit up by a flurry of muzzle flashes. Stray rounds flew out over the abyss behind them as more plinked off the heavy-duty crates that the pair threw themselves behind, their weapons of choice materializing in their hands as they prepared to return fire.

To their left Torr had forced Lamash into a desperate scramble for cover but in turn had been subjected to a withering barrage of suppressing fire from his men. As the krogan's shields fell apart and he dropped behind a particularly large service bench, Ren shouted to him over the din. "Do you enjoy trying to get us killed?"  
Torr bellowed a response as Tali stood to squeeze off a spread of shots from her pistol. "You see their weapons, their armour? You don't bring kit like that if you're not expecting a fight; trust me Stiff, they never intended to take us alive. Besides," he added as an afterthought, "I didn't care for that batarian's tone."

Tali dropped down again, her over-taxed pistol and drained shields flaring for her attention. She ignored them both. Ren didn't have time to grace Torr with a response as he stood to let off some rounds of his own, buying Tali the time to cool her overheating sidearm. The krogan joined in with some accurate fire from his own pistol, an addition that Tali had noticed him make just that morning. The engineer risked a quick glance at the enemy positions and was disheartened to see that the mercs were taking full advantage of their superior firepower and wide, open position by shifting from cover to cover with professional efficiency. Up here, stuck on a narrow platform with nowhere to go and a near constant stream of incoming fire, she knew it would be impossible to keep track of the merc's ever-changing positions.

As she drew her head back Tali saw movement at the edges of the hanger and hoped fervently that what she'd glimpsed had been a merely a distorted reflection in her visor. The wish was shattered seconds later when Ren warned "Great, now the bloody security mechs are joining in!"  
"We can't stay here much longer," Torr decided, "those mechs aren't programmed with self-preservation, as soon as they start pushing up here we'll have a real fight on our hands."  
"We need to fall back to the shuttle!" Ren shouted. "I can fly us out of here if we can just get to the other end of the boarding ramp."  
Tali shook her head, glancing at the ten metre patch of open ground. Normally it would have been the work of seconds to sprint the distance but even she knew that attempting it under this kind of suppression was suicidal. "You'll never make that," she replied, "not without a distraction!"

Hitting the final keys on her Omni-Tool Tali sent a batch of tech mines sailing over the lip of her cover. She didn't care who they hit and she knew there was no way the sabotage effect would ensnare anything close to all of the mercs, but the hope was that it would buy her time. Giving the mines a mental count of two before they went off, Tali stood and targeted her Omni-Tool on the nearest mech. A small column of Lokis were starting to push up the ramp and she initially aimed for them but then the lumbering gait of a towering Ymir heavy mech in the background drew her eye. Tali had just enough time to recalibrate and burrow a spike into the mech's systems before the merciless fire drove her back into the small shelter she shared with Ren.

Back on the docking ring the newly hacked Ymir was suddenly unable to differentiate between friend and foe as a result of the IFF spike and promptly began gunning down everything in sight. The first to fall was the small column of Loki mechs whose simple systems couldn't produce an adequate response in time. As shouts of alarm spread throughout the mercs and the steady drone of automatic fire switched directions as they collectively targeted the rouge automaton. As the chaos unfolded Tali heard herself shouting for them to move. No sooner had the words left her lips than a wave of pressure assaulted her body and a dull ringing filled her ears. Glancing about for the source of the explosion she spotted Torr coughing and shaking his head in a cloud of smoke, scorch marks blackening the corners of his cover. The krogan spat blood from his lips and gestured for her to go on. "Grenade launcher!" he explained in short gasps, "no shields, catch you up!"

It was all he had time for and Tali didn't give herself time to protest. Instead she launched herself from cover and darted her way across the open docking ramp with as much speed as she could muster. The quarian vaulted over a power unit and dropped into a crouch behind it as the adrenaline surged through her veins and thundered with every frantic heartbeat. Her heightened senses heard a soft scuffling before Ren appeared beside her, none the worse for their ordeal. Tali hoped that Torr's shields had recovered in time for him to join them but as a dull thump was heard in the distance and the Ymir mech finally exploded under the merc's combined fire, she knew they'd have to come up with another solution.

Ren wasted no time trying the ship's access pad and immediately slammed a hand down on the bulkhead in frustration. "It's locked." He growled, shooting a furious glare back at their fallen pilot.  
"Move aside," ordered Tali, "let me see if I can hack through it."  
They exchanged positions and Tali set her Omni-Tool to running a slew of code algorithms while Ren began exchanging fire with Aria's men once more. The mercs had swiftly regrouped after the uproar caused by the rampant heavy mech and, minus a few of their number, were now hitting the escapee's positions with tech and biotic attacks. Damping charges and overload modules exploded in violent flares of colour that seared the quarian's retinas and threw off his aim.

A few meters to the front of the ramp Torr's shields had finally recovered and his species' ability to regenerate dead tissue meant that his wounds were slowly sealing themselves up. As the old mechanic leant his back against the workbench and recovered from firing his latest shots he saw a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. Looking down Torr spotted a small group of four mercenaries moving quietly across the bay's second docking ramp just below his position. The ramp was empty and unused but if he were to guess, Torr would have said they were working their way under to sabotage the human's shuttle from underneath and cut off their escape route. Shuffling to the edge of his platform Torr glanced down to assess the situation, held his pistol out over the rim and dropped a five shot burst into a dormant refuelling tank. The squad barely had time to turn in surprise at the sound of gunfire before the fuel tank ignited and swallowed them all in flame. Torr drew his arm back as the volume of fire on his position suddenly increased and he allowed himself a tight-lipped smile at the faint screams that floated up to him.

The krogan's actions went unnoticed by Tali and Ren, both of whom were caught up in their own endeavours. Evidently the human was a paranoid man as the shuttle's security system was far beyond what Tali had been expecting. Caught off guard at first it had become an uphill battle to stay on top of the ever-shifting parameters and fluctuating code. The drone of gunfire had dulled to a background thrum as Tali attended her work with complete focus, her fingers flying over the keys with absolute surety. To her left Ren was struggling desperately to hold back the mercs who had now stepped things up by employing snipers who threatened to take his head off every time he attempted to return fire. Their commanding officer was no fool either and was using the new problem to move a small team further up the ramp. Ren knew if they were allowed to entrench themselves up here there'd be no way for him to force them back down again.

The Lieutenant risked a quick glance, drawing his head back just before a well-placed sniper shot smacked into the side of the power unit where his head had been mere heartbeats before. The mercs were moving up two abreast, their advance hindered by the ramp's limited breadth and the multitude of docking equipment that lay scattered in their path. At the top of the ramp lay a transporter cart exactly like the one that had nearly ran him over less than half an hour ago. Still connected to the rail system the transporter was almost empty, evidently having been used to move the smuggler's cargo up here. A sudden solution popped into Ren's head and without allowing himself time to think about it the officer popped out from cover, drawing a bead on the cart's control panel. Knowing he had a few precious seconds before the sniper's rifle cooled enough to fire again and simultaneously hoping no one else had a bead on him Ren pulled the trigger and grimly held the sights steady as rounds began to strike his shields and threatened to throw off his aim. The seconds he was exposed seemed to drag indefinitely and no sooner did he see the controls spark than he let go of the trigger and made himself crumple at the knees, not even allowing himself the time to crouch and place his back to the power unit. It proved to be the right choice as he actually saw the sniper round that would have pierced his skull zip harmlessly overhead by just a few inches.

Tali shot him a worried glance at his odd collapse but Ren shook his head as he scrambled back up. "I'm fine." He assured her and the engineer merely nodded, accepting and turning her attention back to her work; she simply did not have the time to discuss it further. Breathing heavily from the adrenaline pumping through him Ren crawled back into place, catching a glimpse of the transporter through a crack in the power cabling. Its control circuits fried the cart's electronic locking systems failed and the brakes that were keeping it place on the inclined rails quietly clicked out of place. With the strut locks disengaged gravity began to pull at the cart and it slowly began to roll its way down the incline.

The first few feet went unnoticed by the approaching mercenaries but as the cart began to pick up speed and rattle against its rails the team's salarian pointman looked up and shouted a warning that came just a little too late. Seeing the danger early probably spared his life as the salarian dove desperately to one side just before the cart whizzed over where he'd been standing and ploughed directly into the band of aliens behind him. The first likely never knew what hit her, the asari's body crumpling just as she turned to face the runaway transporter. A collective scream that was cut violently short erupted from those behind as they too were propelled backwards and sideways in a bone shattering collision that scattered the aliens every which way. The rearmost man, a mottled turian with body armour so pristine it could hardly have been used, was cushioned against the cart's impact by the shattered bodies of those in front who were now pressed against the transporter's body. He was not however cushioned against the jolting as the cart hit the base of the ramp, the high speed impact on a corner turn causing an immediate de-railing and throwing the turian against the far wall where he had just enough time to cry out before the transporter, now sliding across the grimy floors on its flank, ended his life with a definitive slam against the wall that echoed through the entire docking bay.

The salarian who'd managed to avoid the chaos struggled to his feet, his mind frozen by shock, only to collapse again with a gaping hole in his lower back, his bug-like eyes glassy and vacant. Torr lowered the claymore and laughed, a crazed fever dancing in his eyes. It had been many years since the old krogan had felt the blood-lust this strongly. He could scent it in the air, feel it in his veins, see the faces of his every kill in his vision with perfect clarity. As he gazed upon the broken bodies of those crushed under Ren's improvised runaway missile one thought clouded Krovak Torr's mind. It wasn't enough. He needed **more**.

Back at the shuttle Tali let loose a whoop of joy as she finally cracked the ship's security systems and the cargo doors began to split open with a pressurized hiss. The single-man cockpit also warbled invitingly as the instrument panel lit up and bathed the plasti-glass in a neon glow. "Ren, I got us in!" She shouted over the cacophony of gunfire.  
The quarian, both sickened and delighted with what he's just managed to do, lowered his rifle and nodded. When he looked at her Tali could have sworn the reflections of his eyes were brighter than she'd ever seen them. "Nice work Tali! Get yourself in the cargo hold and tell Torr to get his arse up here, I'll get the engines fired up. We need to get out of here before they start bringing in reinforcements!" Without waiting for a response he ran for the nose of the ship and Tali responded by standing to cover him with a spray of pistol rounds before ducking back and opening up a comm line with Torr's Omni-Tool.  
"Torr we've got the shuttle unlocked and Ren's prepping for takeoff now, you need to get back here!"  
The lack of response from the krogan made Tali risk exposing her head for a quick glance in his direction. Aside from the snipers the range was too great for most of Aria's men to get an accurate shot off and she had enough time to see Torr busily exchanging gunfire with another group of mercenaries who were attempting to make their way up the ramp again, this time supported by a trio of Loki security mechs and being extremely cautious. It seemed Lamash had learned not to underestimate his opponents and Torr was being hard pressed to hold them back.  
"Torr!" Tali tried again, "we need to leave, now!"  
The krogan finally dropped back behind his battle-scarred workbench and his gravelly voice filled her eardrums a second later.  
"No way I'm making it across this platform kid, not with this many sights on me."  
Tali felt her heart skip a beat. "I can cover you," she protested, "I saw you run in the warehouse, you can make it!"  
There was a weighty sigh. "We both know that's not happening Tali, not even with the two of you. There's at least three experienced snipers out there, all it takes is a pair of them to hit me in the right spot and down goes Krovak Torr."  
"They'll down you if you stay!" the quarian protested wildly.  
"At least I'll take a few of 'em with me that way, buy you some time."  
"Torr..." Tali couldn't think, couldn't breathe. _Keelah this is __**not**__ happening! _She glanced at him again and saw that he was looking toward her. His eyes met hers and she saw his lips move as he spoke. "This is the krogan way Tali'Zorah, don't try to deny me it."  
Their conversation of just days hence filled Tali's mind and suddenly she saw with stark clarity what he was doing. "You stupid _bosh'tet_!" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself, accompanied by a sudden sob that took her by surprise.  
When Torr spoke, his words were soft and tinged with inevitability. "Go Tali'Zorah, you have your own grounds to hunt in now. And when you find the one who's after you, tell him Krovak Torr says hello."

The connection flatlined and half-formed protests froze on Tali's lips. As if in a dream she felt her eyes flicker towards the old krogan one last time as the Omni-Tool on his wrist evaporated and he hefted his mighty shotgun in both hands. Even from this distance Tali could see his once golden eyes burning red. _The krogan bloodrage_. Their gazes met for a second and Torr gave her a final nod that made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. Her mind, dulled and deadened by shock, faltered and Tali's instincts took over, her body dragging her over to the shuttle's beckoning cargo hold as the sounds of combat abruptly grew louder and a blood-chilling roar filled her ears. She didn't look as she stepped into the darkened hold, the heavy-duty loading door sealing shut behind her with a hiss.  
"Where's Torr?" Ren demanded as the night-vision of her visor activated, his voice filtering through the comm unit of her environment suit.  
"He's not coming," Tali replied emptily, "he says we need to go without him."  
"What?" Ren echoed the shock she'd already expressed, "what the hell is he playing at?"  
"Being krogan." She whispered.


	22. Chapter 22: Pro'ad

**Chapter 22 - Pro'ad  
**The krogan Krovak Torr locked eyes with the quarian Tali'Zorah a final time and nodded a grim farewell. Pre-empting her protests his fingers cut the Omni-Tool's communication line and moved to dispatch a single message to Ren'Gerrel. The coordinates for the quarian's prey were enclosed and with his actions, Torr ensured that the pair would not be left to drift aimlessly like specks of dark matter. As the ancient Omni-Tool completed its task and shut down he took in a long, heavy breath and changed his grip on the shotgun cradled in his arms. Ignoring the ingrained instincts that screamed for him to get up and fight had been incredibly difficult and Torr knew that his last words with Tali had been marred by a burgeoning strain in his voice as the scent of fresh blood filled his nostrils. It called to him with a power greater than time itself; it filled his hearts with the songs of battle and made his body thrum with boundless energy.

And now, it was time to answer the call that coursed through him. A dark grin of malevolent intent split his face and fire shone in his eyes as he waited for the squad on the other side of the battered workbench to draw closer. His fingers began to tremor with anticipation and his ears strained to track their every footstep through the all-encompassing din. Every round that struck his cover and occasionally found his shields served only to draw him further and further into his oncoming battle fever. It was getting harder to maintain clarity in the wake of the pure instinctual overload and Torr scrambled to make a last minute adjustment to his shotgun before he became lost to the blood-rage.

The mercs were close now, close enough that he could smell their fear on the wind, laced with dying remnants of biotic residue. He inhaled it deeply, let the taste of battle feed his lust. A footstep that a hyper-sensitized Torr immediately recognized as turian clipped the ground just two feet away from his cover. It was final sign that he needed, the last conscious thought that passed through his mind as Krovak Torr finally succumbed to his genetic desires and burst upwards with a speed that bellied his bulk. Using the workbench as a pivot point the krogan wrenched himself around and propelled himself forward, directly into the path of the oncoming turian. Although the alien had his rifle trained on the workbench he evidently hadn't been expecting such a bold move and his reactions were slow. It proved to be fatal as Torr brought the butt of the massive claymore down into the turian's head plates which caved in and fractured with a wet crackling that sent a surge of power through the krogan and made the turian go limp as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The asari behind him got off one shot as Torr stormed forward, his shields easily absorbing the bullet's kinetic energy before he shouldered her away with such force that the asari found herself toppling helplessly towards the edge of the platform. A screech of terror ripped itself from her chest and she reached out desperately for a handhold as she fell face forward, her desperate hand managing to close around the leg of a batarian mercenary who roared in alarm as the sudden shifting weight dragged him off his feet and out over the edge of the platform before he had a chance to process what was happening. Their fading screams as the pair plummeted into the abyss were drowned out by the ferocious, blood-chilling roar that arose from the lungs of the krogan and filled the souls of all who heard it with dread. "KROVAAAAAAK TOOOOORRRRRR!" It reverberated off the walls even after the krogan's mouth contorted into a vicious snarl and the thunder of his shotgun's discharge rumbled throughout the docking bay. Another batarian fell dead as Torr sprinted past him, a thin trail of smoke spiralling from the barrel of his gun. The salarian in front of the seemingly unstoppable force of nature knew a moment of abject terror and threw down his weapon, turning in an attempt to flee only to be driven to the ground and trampled underfoot by the bone-shattering weight of the incredible force of nature.

As meter after meter of the docking ramp disappeared behind him Torr saw movement ahead in his blood-soaked battle vision. A batarian he immediately recognized as Lamash was levelling a sniper rifle at him in what appeared to be slow motion as a trio of Loki mechs supported him from behind with a barrage of sub-machine gun fire that chipped away at the krogan's shields. A derisive snort of hot air burst from Torr's flared nostrils and he increased his speed, closing the gap between them in seconds. As the blood-rage coursed through him and his reactions reached unprecedented levels Torr watched with complete focus as Lamash's finger began to curl around the trigger. Torr timed his movements to perfection and suddenly dropped, abruptly switching his reckless charge into a gravity-controlled slide that caused the well-aimed shot to fly harmlessly overhead. Lamash realised he wouldn't have time to get off another shot just as Torr slid to a stop not a foot in front of him, shotgun barrel aimed directly at the batarian's midsection. There was just enough time for Lamash's eyes to widen with horror before the shotgun's explosive rounds propelled him up and off his feet, sending him a good four meters into the air before he crashed back down again in the midst of the Loki mechs with a gaping, smouldering hole through his midsection.

Only one of the mechs had managed to remain standing and as it struggled to regain its balance Torr sprung up with terrifying speed and grabbed the Loki around its artificial throat, wrenching it off its feet before smashing it down atop one of its fallen brethren with enough force to disable them both. The remaining Loki, splattered with both batarian blood and artificial fluids, had an extra moment of awareness before Torr's giant-like foot slammed down on its head, completely crushing the core logic unit and ending the security mech's existence with in a burst of sparks.

The surrounding ring of mercenaries, having struggled to land any effective shots on the krogan due to his rapid, unpredictable manoeuvring, now hesitated at the grim spectacle before them. The abrupt loss of their commander and the sight of the battle-crazed krogan monster so close to their positions caused many to sincerely reconsider staying put. For all their battle-won experience and the threat of Aria's omnipotence, this was not what they had signed up for. The last remaining security mech however, a towering Ymir that had been re-directed and entered the docking bay late on in the gunfight, had no such concerns. Stamping its foot down with enough force for the noise to draw Krovak Torr's attention, the hulking machine produced an artificial growl and the faint whine of its arm-embedded minigun spinning up gave the krogan prompting for his next move.

Torr exploded into motion, his trunk-like legs scattering broken mech parts as he darted off to the left, his steps taking him off the docking ramp and out onto the encircling ring that housed Aria's men. A nearby batarian, his conviction already wavering at the loss of Lamash, didn't even manage to get a shot off as Torr charged toward him and backhanded him with enough force to instantly break his neck and sever his spinal nerves, killing him before he'd had time to even feel the blow. Torr grabbed hold of the mercenary as his limp form twisted around and hoisted his limp form aloft by the plates of his back armour. The Ymir, having had difficulty keeping up with the krogan's impressive speed, now repositioned so that Torr was directly ahead of its torso and spun the minigun up for another, more accurate barrage.

With the batarian held up in front of him as a crude shield against the mech's devastating bombardment Torr began pushing ahead toward the Ymir, the thudding impact of the rounds against the batarian's still active shields sending shivers through his arms but never slowing his momentum. He made it halfway with his reckless charge before the batarian's shields dropped and the Ymir's bullets began tearing holes in the alien's flesh. The unconventional tactic had given Torr's own shields enough time to recharge to 50% however, enough to cover him from the scattering of rounds from the rest of the mercs who had finally begun to open fire again. As the batarian's corpse began to literally disintegrate in front of him Torr, operating on pure animal instinct and a burning desire to kill, jammed the claymore's barrel against the very base of the corpse's spine and, when he judged the Ymir to be close enough, pulled the trigger.

As the tattered remains of the batarian literally blew apart as a result of the exploding ammunition Krovak Torr emerged through the lingering cloud of bloody red mist, his face split apart in a wordless roar of unbridled fury. The mech tried to re-compensate for the unexpected tactic, unused to engaging at such close ranges and unintentionally giving Torr enough time to close the last few yards and charge directly into the mech's embrace. Anticipating the Ymir's next move even in his battle-fuelled state, Torr wasted no time jamming the barrel of his shotgun directly into the automaton's left arm and firing another explosive shot at point blank range that was within the protective bubble of the security mech's mass shields, rendering them useless. The resulting explosion took out both the Ymir's left arm up to the elbow as well as everything up to the claymore's grip. Torr didn't even register the pain of his blackened hand as he dropped the now useless weapon and turned away from the fractured mess of fused synthetics. Instead, as the Ymir's systems calculated the implications of the damage and stray rounds from Aria's men pecked at both Torr and the mech's shields the mighty krogan's hands wrapped around the Ymir's remaining arm and hefted it away just as it regained an optical target lock with the towering alien.

Programmed to open fire when a visual lock is achieved on a target, the Ymir, with its 'chin' sitting on its chest to see the crest of the krogan's hump, finally processed the optical feed and duly spun up the minigun in its right arm. As the arm pressed against him, trying to hit what the Ymir was 'aiming' at, Torr grappled furiously with its industrial strength. Servos whined in his ears and the krogan roared an unintelligible challenge, calling on every scrap of strength his aching muscles had to wrest the death-spewing barrel away from him. The Ymir, its logic network still accepting that the gun was pointed toward the krogan, even though the visual evidence provided a clear confliction, continued to fire off the deadly stream of high-velocity rounds. From somewhere below its optical eye Krovak Torr bellowed with crazed laughter as he brought the arm to bear on the small collection of mercenaries that had been foolish enough to move closer in an attempt to get a better shot. Caught out in the open with nowhere to go docking bay 94 was subsequently filled with the screams of the dead and the dying as the Ymir's guns scythed through their shields and flesh with unparalleled ease.

Those smart enough to retain their sheltered positions began rallying around desperate but sensible orders from the more grizzled veterans and the volume on fire on the krogan suddenly increased and swiftly began tearing his depleted shields to pieces. As his strained mass shields collapsed and bullets began to punch holes in his armour and tear rifts in his flesh the Ymir finally processed both the malfunctions the krogan was causing with its minigun and a possible solution. Torr's steady grip on the arm was suddenly and nearly dislodged as the Ymir violently swung the arm high and to the side, then back again in an attempt to shake the resolute krogan free. Quickly adapting to the new circumstances Torr re-adjusted his grip, wrapping his coarse fingers around an exposed section of plating and holding on grimly as the Ymir swung him high into the air. Movement at the edge of his vision caught his eye and even in his battle lust Torr realised he had the perfect opportunity to end this.

He waited, the docking bay dancing wildly as the Ymir continually threw him through the air, the shifting of its arm developing a subtle, predictable pattern. Torr's eyes never left the mercenary who cradled the rocket launcher and he watched as she took careful aim, letting his muscles flow with the Ymir's movements. And then it was in the air, streaking toward them, a flash of explosive death that would surely envelop them both. As the missile tore across the bay with a soft whoosh Torr swung his body with the Ymir's arm and at the apex of its toss, loosed his death grip. He made it a good four metres into the air and a solid two to the Ymir's left before the missile hit. The warhead detonated against the heavy mech's chest cavity, swallowing what remained of its shields and taking out the entrenched central logic core in the process. The blast filled Torr's ears, deafening him and as the Ymir toppled, devoid of instruction, he slammed into the ground with bone crunching force, the explosion propelling him into the unyielding metal surface at an awkward angle.

He heard rather than felt the snap as his left arm crumpled under his weight and the pain went unheeded as he fought to his feet with a snarl, the fire dancing dangerously in his eyes. The limb hung useless at his side but he paid it no mind, nor did he register the shortness of breath in his ancient lungs, the dull throbbing that resonated throughout his body, the whine of his empty shield counter. Only death was the call he gave heed to and Torr reached for his pistol, only to find it missing, knocked free in the fall. The smoking Ymir lay face down just a few yards in front of him to the right, and the remaining mercenaries were streaming across the docking bay with weapons at the ready, the krogan briefly hidden from view by the fading smoke cloud of the missile's impact. A deep, rumbling growl lingered at the back of his throat as he stepped forward to meet them, his blackened and bloody right hand clenching in the anticipation of fresh blood. As the remaining smoke drifted away and the oncoming mercs caught sight of him Torr, his monstrous and hulking spectre lingering in the dull haze of the neon light, thumped his good fist against his pock-marked chest and uttered a final cry of defiance before they opened fire.

His chest filled with what felt like a thousand stinging needles, great chunks ripped themselves from his hump and he jerked as round after round punched against his battered and scarred armour. The smarter ones aimed for his legs and Torr heard the dull -Thoom!- of a sniper shot just before his right leg buckled. The old krogan collapsed to his knees, his great head bowed under the devastating volume of fire that ripped his flesh asunder. The mercs were taking no chances now. His gaze travelled downward and he realised they'd taken his right leg off at the knee, the stump pulsing great swathes of orange blood in a growing pool on the floor. His remaining good arm closed around his chest, his grip slippery with the constant flow of blood. The pain as the high velocity chips of metal punched ruthlessly into his hump dulled and the mercs, feeling a surge of confidence at cowing their seemingly unkillable foe, closed in for the final blow.

As the murderous aliens crowded ever closer Torr's head suddenly snapped up. Reddened eyes accompanied a face filled with unrelenting fury and his mouth twisted as he bellowed a challenge in his native krogan battle tongue, the words lost to translators. The mercenaries, caught by surprise at the sheer strength of the krogan's reserves, could do nothing as his right arm extended outwards and a trio of slim discs flew from his palm. The first struck an asari not three paces in front of him and she screamed a warning as the grenade clamped itself to her forearm. The second clipped the leg of a turian and as the cries of alarm went up chaos spread throughout the merc's ranks. Many tried to scramble away from their doomed comrades, only now realising the narrow space they had been lured into meant that their positioning was too tight. In the confusion none but the old krogan noticed the third and final grenade clamp innocuously onto the HE fuel cells of the fallen Ymir mech around which the entire group was clustered.

Krovak Torr lay broken at the feet of his enemies. A mass of multi-coloured blood covered his face and filled his mouth, much of it his own, most of it his foes. His life blood leaked from countless gaping wounds, his left arm hung useless and his right knee lay severed and stunted, everything below now a gory mess. His serpentine eyes, once a lustrous gold with age, glowed with the last embers of a dying blood-rage. He opened his mouth to speak and a stream of gaudy blood poured down his wrinkled and spotted chin. Though his words were lost in the frenzied shouting of the panicking mercs, their echo resonated in his ears. "The void take you."

His massive fist closed around the detonation trigger and time seemed to slow as the trio of grenades all went off at once, their initial explosions swallowed a fraction of a second later by a massive fireball that consumed everything within thirty feet as the Ymir's fuel cells detonated. Krovak Torr allowed himself a final grin of triumph as his world erupted in a blinding flare of light.

* * *

Tears streamed freely down Tali's face as she watched Torr and the mercenaries surrounding him become engulfed in a fiery explosion that seemed to deny all comprehension. The entire stretch of platform that they had occupied had simply vanished in a blinding flash that stung her eyes even over the digital recordings. It had been over thirty minutes since their escape from Omega and twenty since Ren had initiated the in-system FTL that would take them to the Sahrabarik's Mass Effect Relay. In all that time Tali still hadn't been able to process Torr's passing. She'd sat tucked away in the darkness of the cargo bay, rooted to the spot as she replayed the video from the ship's exterior cameras again and again on her Omni-Tool. The sombre orange lighting from the device served only to darken her despair.

Each time she watched she hoped desperately that somehow this viewing would be different, that there was a new camera angle she had yet to see, that Torr would somehow survive and appear at the edges of the explosion yet it always ended the same. Torr and the mercenaries were swallowed up by flame, the glare of the explosion's epicentre filling the zoomed camera before the shuttle pulled away and the lens abruptly filled with a stretch of rocky asteroid wall. She could taste the salt on her lips each time she witnessed her friend's final moments, could feel her heart thumping with pain and her stomach being wracked by gut-clenching sorrow every time the recording drew to an end. And still her heart stubbornly refused to believe what every other instinct was telling her. Her fingers reached automatically for the replay button as the recording came to an end, only to be abruptly snatched away. _This isn't helping_, she realised, _this is exactly what he wouldn't want._

Instead Tali let the Omni-Tool fall silent, the darkness of the cramped cargo hold providing a measure of self-conscious comfort as she choked back a sob and sniffled quietly. Slowly her head sank into her three digit hands, slender fingers sliding up her visor as the ever-present, life preserving helmet pressed gently against them. As the minutes ticked by her shoulders began to quake gently and the young, innocent quarian found herself wishing, wishing that she could reach in and wipe away those persistent tears, wishing that they had never come to Omega and above all, wishing that she might open her eyes and find her steadfast friend towering in front of her with that all-knowing twinkle in his eye. It was stupid, she knew, and utterly illogical but right now her mind was flying co-pilot to her emotions and on some rational level, Tali knew emotions could be fickle, foolish things.

A soft chime and a sudden brightness against her eyelids forced her now crusty eyes open, the grieved girl having to blink several times to adjust to the intensity of the orange light. Dimly realising it to be her Omni-Tool made her draw her left arm away, automatically sitting up straighter and unconsciously squaring her shoulders in anticipation of answering the incoming call. Taking a deep breath and hoping the lump in her throat would go away, she hesitated briefly before accepting the Comm. "Tali?"  
_Ren._ She had known of course, his name was on the frequency request, but it hadn't stopped her hoping. "I'm here."  
"I'm so sorry." His voice sounded husky, or perhaps it was just interference on the channel. Even as she thought it, Tali knew better. For all his reservations about the old krogan, the loss of their friend had cut Ren as deeply as it had her.  
She almost didn't trust herself to say the next words. "Th...there wasn't anything we could have done differently was there?" It was a truth she had been grappling with for the past thirty minutes, one she was still unwilling to accept.  
A pause on the other end. "No, it's just the fate of the wayfarer."  
She had to hold back a sob at the old quarian idiom, an all too poignant reminder of home and the safety it had once offered. A safety that seemed so very far away right now. "He wasn't a wayfarer Ren," she ventured after a time, "he was a warrior."  
"That he was." The Lieutenant agreed solemnly. Silence stepped in and the moments ticked by with only the sound of each other's breathing filling the audio feed. Somehow, it brought Tali a small measure of comfort and she drank it in readily. "Did you ever hear of the old poem, _Pro'ad Ulnai_?" Ren asked suddenly, his voice seeming loud in the dark stillness.  
Despite everything, Tali had to hold back a smile. "My father was in the military too Ren, every enlistee knows it." The slight pause that followed gave her the suspicion that the Lieutenant was working up the nerve to say something. The hunch was confirmed a moment later when her ears suddenly pricked up at the soft spoken words of ancient quarian that were gradually being whispered by the young officer. Recognizing it instantaneously, Tali joined him by the second line, their voices falling into perfect harmony within seconds:

"_Lee kan saa bel sunn va desi  
__Kann saevl nesiiri va luvae  
__Ba viion zor preesa, ba siirl yon issi  
__Ba pro'ada shan ulnai_

_Maa nedon ho Keelaha tasa kan Shionn  
__Ven maa g'ovae saevl  
__Ta biis vaneeli na var onn kan Ysila  
__Keelaha ghos'a v'shenn_"

The last words came out thick with emotion.

"_Keelah Selai_."


	23. Chapter 23: Salvage Operations

**Chapter 23 - Salvage Operations  
**"Hey Tali, you holding up ok back there?" Ren asked a few hours after their frantic departure from Omega.  
"No," came the honest response a moment later, "but we've got a job to do, how I feel isn't going to keep me from doing it."  
"Keelah Selai." Was the equally determined reply. "Figured you might want to know that we've just slipped into the Neslanya system, it's a backwater tucked away inside the Regatta Nebula, bit of a desolate place by the looks of it."  
"What did Torr's lead say about it?"  
"Nothing, but his coordinates match up with one of the planets here, Olsav, looks like a barren ball of frozen rock to me."  
Tali mulled it over for a second before replying. "You think his source might have been setting him up?"  
"Maybe," admitted the pragmatic Lieutenant, "it'd explain the ambush back on Omega. There's no way to tell for sure though."  
"Forward me the extranet entry on the planet," said Tali, "I can't log in to any nearby buoys...if there are any."  
"There's not much there," Ren warned even as the data streamed across, "I've been looking at it for the past hour."  
"You're right," she responded a heartbeat later, "this entry looks about as bleak as the planet itself."  
"I've got the ship running scans of the surface now, we won't get anything on its dark side but maybe..." he paused to adjust the haptic interfaces in front of him, cursing the turian designs so badly modified for human fingers, "we'll get lucky."

Back in the cargo hold the immeasurable quarian patience for cabin fever was starting to wear very thin for Tali'Zorah, even as she struggled to get into a position that made some _other_ part of her body ache instead. Even in twenty-two years on the flotilla she couldn't recall ever being this uncomfortable. Harsh angles stabbed at her from all directions and the ceiling was just low enough to force her to keep her neck bent if she needed to stand upright. In an uncommon display of frustration Tali lashed out, striking a nondescript container with her foot. The resulting metallic thoom made her feel at least momentarily better. The lack of anything productive to do on the long journey had also made it incredibly difficult to keep her thoughts away from Torr's death. Knowing what Torr would think of her for slipping into despondency had helped her resist succumbing so far, but ultimately she had been very glad to hear Ren announce their arrival in-system.

Just as she was beginning to shift her position once more there was a startled cry over the communicator.  
"Ren?" Tali sat bolt upright immediately, narrowly avoiding slamming her head against the metal beams that made up the pod's interior framework.  
"I've just picked up a pair of ships on the scanners." He replied, sudden tension evident in every syllable. "They're moving out of the moon's shadow now...Tali...they're geth ships."  
Icy coolant ran through her veins. The geth weren't supposed to be here, not this far beyond the Perseus Veil. What were they doing? Was this the precursor to the galaxy conquering invasion that many of her people felt was inevitable after so many years of silence from the synthetic race? Had the geth been after them all this time? Was this the last attempt on their lives, the one that would finally succeed? The dire implications of the discovery were endless.  
Tali asked the one question that preceded all others. "Have they seen us yet?"  
"No way they haven't, not in this old junker." Ren replied, his tone filled with defeat, "Look Tali, when they come for us I'll jettison the cargo pod, with luck they'll ignore you and you'll be able to get a message out. I'll...try to ram one of them before they get me, there's no way this ship will last five seconds in a dogfight."  
"Don't you even think about it," Tali snapped back, "the geth are too systematic, too thorough; there's no way they'd leave the hold intact, you'd be throwing your life away for nothing." A resigned sigh left her lungs as her shoulders slumped and the normally upbeat voice softened. "I've already lost one friend today Ren. If I have to lose another, I'm not letting him die alone."  
She took encouragement from the fact that he wasn't protesting.

Back up in the cabin Ren'Gerrel was trying desperately to see a way out of the situation that didn't involve turning himself and Tali'Zorah into a cloud of space dust. He examined the civilian grade scope with trepidation; even the non-military technology had the geth ships outlined in a familiar red glow that sent chills up his back. "You've got to have seen us by now," he mused to himself, "why aren't you coming for us?" His brow furrowed in confusion as the crimson specks defied his expectations and started to draw further and further away from the quarian's vulnerable smuggling ship. Cautiously relaxing his hold on the vessel's illegal and near useless weapons systems, Ren gave in to curiosity and instructed the nav unit to track and predict the course of the geth dropships. The resulting projections offered no clearer answers.

"Tali, the geth are heading for the surface."  
"What? Why?" Ren's passenger sounded just as bewildered as he felt.  
"I don't know," he replied honestly, "I'm trying to track their course now but the surface is still outside the range of the scanners. We're going to have to move in closer if we want to find out what they're up to."  
"Drawing us in maybe?"  
"I thought that too but there's no need for them to, they can easily intercept us before I can make a jump to FTL and they have more than enough firepower to vaporize us. Unless they're bloody low on fuel there's no reason that they should need to bring us any closer."  
"This just doesn't make any sense at all..." Tali almost kicked out at another box again. _The geth shouldn't even be here! Pilgrimages aren't supposed to be like this!_ A hiss of frustration slipped through her teeth."We can't turn back though, not now."  
"I know, and if the geth are behind all this, I still want to know why." Ren's digits hovered hesitantly over the controls. "You sure you want to do this? Could be we don't get to come back."  
"We don't have a choice Ren, I just hope Keelah's watching out for us."  
Slowly, the junker began to accelerate towards the planet. "Agreed."

* * *

Ren guided the ship towards the planet as cautiously as he could, ever wary of an abrupt change in course from the synthetic dropships that might bring them bearing down on their vulnerable craft. Even as the geth began atmospheric-entry procedures and effectively rendered an immediate course change impossible, in the back of his mind Ren kept expecting more geth ships to emerge from the dark side of the moon. Everything about this situation was totally contrary to the AI's behavioural patterns. Ren might not have been a scientist but every quarian was raised with intricate knowledge of their greatest foe as a matter of survival. What was taking place here was going against everything he'd ever known about the geth; the synthetics simply did not run away.

As the dropships began carving flaming trails into the atmosphere of Olsav the Lieutenant brought the ship closer and swiftly initiated a second course prediction for the geth ships. Their headings indicated a larger area than Ren would have liked, but for a civilian grade scanner he had to concede that the results were better than he'd expected. Surface readings of the approximately 20 kilometre square LZ revealed a towering, ice capped mountain range that was currently being battered by a storm of wind and snow. For a second Ren forgot his trepidation and stared in awe at the virtual representation. _Keelah...father said that the surface of your first planet was a glorious sight but this..._

A soft beep from the consoles shattered his brief reverie. Tearing his eyes from the surface footage Ren double-checked the geth's positions and ran another simulation on their angle of descent. The field of possible LZ's narrowed and as he watched, the dropships lazily changed course to come sweeping down on an icy plain at the base of one of the mountain ranges. Even their choice of a landing site made no sense; according to both the scope and his eyes there was nothing of use or importance nearby._ Perhaps Tali had the right idea, maybe they're landing for refuelling or repairs? _It still didn't add up, but it was as good a guess as any he'd had so far. Another persistent beeping drew his attention. They were drawing close to the surface themselves, the computer wanted to know whether to begin entry procedures. Ren hesitated for a moment. _Do I really want to try engaging two dropships' worth of geth on foot? _No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he remembered just how heavily outclassed they would be in ship-to-ship combat. _Hell I fancy my chances on the ground a lot more than I do in the air right now. Besides we need to find out what Torr's sent us here for and geth or no, we might not get another chance at this._

Pausing only for a brief prayer to part his lips, Ren'Gerrel dove towards the surface of Olsav.

* * *

"I don't like the look of this terrain," Ren warned as the icy surface rose up to greet them, "it's too wide, too open." Although still not completely familiar with the turian ship's controls the young naval officer risked taking some of his attention from the re-entry procedure to enlarge one of the viewing cameras, giving him a better look at the geth's landing area. The images had updated as a result of their new course and the fresh angle gave him a glimpse at something he hadn't seen before. "It...it looks like there's another ship down there too, but it doesn't look like anything the geth could have made."  
"What do you mean?" Asked Tali, who had kept mercifully quiet throughout his cagey tailing of the geth. Grateful for her trust, Ren made a mental note to thank her later.  
"The design's all wrong, too many angles but...I can't think what else it could..." He could feel an answer lingering on the tip of his tongue and a sudden glimpse of distinctive lettering made the quarian's mind up for him. "Human, I think it might be human."  
"What would a human be doing here?" Tali's words echoed the puzzling thought that ran through his own mind. "Maybe they've been forced down, trying to hide from the geth? Maybe they're what Torr's coordinates was leading us to?"  
Ren turned his attention back to his piloting as the frozen peaks filled his canopy's screen and blizzard strength winds began to buffet the smuggling craft. "I guess that's what we're going to find out."

The pilot was grateful when they dropped a few hundred metres of altitude and the winds began to die down, allowing him to bring the bulky ship in for a controlled landing on one of the few pockets of terrain that the scanners were telling him _wasn't_ a giant snowdrift. Even as correction jets fired and the pronged landing gear deployed Ren found himself hoping the instruments weren't as questionable as the rest of the ship. For once, their luck appeared to be in and the ship came to a steady rest with a few feet of its belly sunken in the snow. The quarian shook his head as he disengaged the controls and sat back, staring through the canopy at the infinite white that awaited him outside. "If I ever have to do this again..." he muttered, leaving the thought unfinished. He unbuckled himself and keyed the communicator. "Tali? Stay where you are for now, I'm going to come around and see if I can't open the cargo bay door manually. It'll give me a chance to see how well the ship's settled." Even as he spoke the words Ren felt a disheartening chill run through his bones at the thought of opening the canopy and stepping outside.  
"I'll be here." Tali replied.  
He could have sworn he heard her moving something around in the background but decided not to say anything; he'd see what she was up to for himself soon enough.

Ren allowed himself one last reluctant glance at the conditions outside before deciding it was best to get it over with quickly. No sooner had he popped the canopy open than a blast of freezing wind tore through the tiny cabin, whirling and swirling as it quickly began covering the control panels with a thin dusting of snow. The quarian hesitated for a brief second, awed at the alien behaviours of a weather he'd never before experienced. Abruptly he shook his head and cast his wonderment aside. They had to get moving before any geth scouts show up, there'd be plenty of time for taking in new experiences after the mission. He scrambled out of the cockpit and worked his way down the thin rungs of the nosecone, the canopy automatically sealing shut behind him. Ignoring the desire to climb back inside, Ren jumped off the last rung and promptly sank almost up to his waist in the snow. Biting back a half-hearted curse he waded his way through the drift to the cargo hold. It took him a few moments to find the control panel under the snow and his chilled fingers were grateful when the dull metal of the door slowly rose up to reveal an interior lit by a single, standalone Omni-Tool.

There was no sign of Tali as Ren hauled himself up and into the confined space, glad the winds weren't blowing into the hold. The mass of crates Tali's forsaken Omni-Tool revealed made him whistle appreciatively. "Didn't realise this place was so cramped," he said aloud, aware of a scrabbling coming from the other side of the hold, "I hope you didn't get charged much for the tickets."  
"I've a good mind to complain to the agent," came a familiar voice from the other side of a batch of strapped down containers, "you didn't get his name did you?"  
"I think he's already had all the complaints he can stomach," Ren replied, images of the dead human smuggler filtering through his head, "and just what in Keelah's name are you doing back here anyway?"  
Tali looked up as he approached, fighting his way through a tightly-packed maze to find her dragging a weighty looking crate off to one side. Ren instinctively grabbed the other end and together the two quarians slid the thing out of the way. "Thanks." She offered, her breath laboured with exertion.  
Ren nodded, suddenly appreciative of how much stronger his friend was then she looked. "So why exactly are we..." he glanced around to confirm his suspicions, "carving a path to the inside of the hull walls?"  
"Because..." Tali began, hopping over a final crate to access a non-descript service panel built into the wall, "I've scanned this hold a few times during our journey here and each time my Omni-Tool keeps reporting a blind patch in this wall, right here." She tapped the panel she was working on for emphasis.  
"So?" Ren queried, watching her work to bypass the circuitry with a bemused expression. Then what he was seeing registered. "Wait, since when did you have two Omni-Tools?"  
"Oh that?" Tali sounded as if she'd forgotten about it. "Long story, but the one back there is a spare." She indicated vaguely with a wave of her hand. "My point is, there's a blind spot where there shouldn't be one and given the disposition of our human pilot...got it!" The panel she was working on abruptly swung away from the wall, revealing behind it not the thick hull plating Ren had been expecting, but a hollowed out compartment filled with a slew of different items, all of which he guessed to be illegal. "It seems the pilot wasn't just making credits from hauling legitimate cargo after all."

"So unless you're planning a lawsuit against a dead man, why do we need to go through all this stuff?"  
Tali paused, setting a box of unidentified materials down. "Can we please stop mentioning dead people Ren?" Her voice was a lot rawer than it had been a second ago.  
"Sorry," he muttered, immediately abashed, "I wasn't thinking. It's my coping mechanism," He offered by way of apology. "Cracking jokes and not letting myself think about things too much."  
Tali nodded but said nothing and Ren suspected that behind the tinted faceplate, the ever-present bright spark in her eyes had dimmed.  
"Anyway," he added a moment later, "you still haven't answered my question."  
"Well," Tali replied, glad to come out of her reprieve, "The guy's obviously a smuggler and they don't get their titles out of shifting crates of tupari. He's got to have something useful in here."  
"Think I just found it too." Ren said, lifting the lid off one of the smaller boxes and pulling a forearm sized block from within.  
Tali was about to ask what it was when she noticed the familiar misconstrued model numbers that ran down the side. Ren confirmed her guess a moment later when the device extended into the instantly recognisable mixture of sleek curves, iconic double barrels and blocky hand grips that was the hallmark of almost every weapon's design in the galaxy. "That looks like it could do some damage." Tali remarked appreciatively.  
Ren ran his hand almost reverently down the worn barrel of the tried and true Avenger III sniper rifle. "Indeed."  
Tali shook her head, able to hear the smile beneath his face plate. Taking out one for herself the engineer quickly ran it through the basic tests Ren had made her practise on Omega and, duly satisfied, placed it to one side.

"C'mon, there's got to be other stuff in here that we can use." She prompted, re-gaining Ren's attention.  
"Sorry, you're right," He replied, "and we need to hurry things up too, there's no telling when the geth will come to investigate our landing and it'd be better if we weren't here when they do."  
"You saw where they landed," Tali said as they examined the rest of the contraband items, "what's the plan?"  
"It's a few klicks from here which means a bit of a hike, but it'll give us a chance to approach undetected...thinking about it, this sniper rifle might give us the perfect opportunity to take out any patrols or guards without exposing ourselves."  
"How do you expect to sneak up on the geth Ren?" Tali asked, immediately catching on to his suggestion. "You know as well as I do they've got better magnification in their optics than these snipers we're carrying and in this environment they'll have no difficulty spotting our heat signatures."  
"I...got nothing." He admitted. "Let think about it."  
Tali nodded and together the pair returned to their salvaging.

As the minutes ticked by Tali gave as much thought to their dilemma as she could but the harder she tried to come up with a solution the faster she seemed to draw a blank; it was just beginning to grate on her nerves when Ren garnered her attention once more.  
"This looks interesting."  
"What did you find?" She asked, dropping the lid on the container that she'd spent the last two minutes fighting to open. Ren was pulling what seemed to be a thick grey bed sheet from a torso sized box but once Tali glimpsed the splotchy patterns on the other side she realised at least partially what he was holding. "Is that camouflage?"  
"Looks that way, not uncommon on military issue overcloaks." Her companion replied, though his tone betrayed the fact that even he was unsure of what he was holding. "If that's what this thing is, then this side _should_ be thermal lining," he tapped the uniform grey material for emphasis, "which'll help keep us warm."  
Tali's head perked up instantly. "_That_ I like the sound of."  
"Look at the patterning on it though, it's almost a perfect match for the snow outside. My guess is he's probably had to make stops on planets like this before."  
"Not just planets like this either," replied Tali, pulling a dirt encrusted sandy orange duplicate from the same container, "I guess he really got around."  
"That's terminus systems smugglers for you, good news is he's packed a spare." Tali looked up to see a mass of fabric flying toward her and instinctively caught it, her fingers briefly struggling to grasp the unexpected weight. A quick examination revealed the overcloak was an exact duplicate of Ren's and though it was probably going to drag more on her slighter frame, she was grateful to have another layer of protection against the bitter elements outside.  
"This is good for hiding us visually," she commented as she draped herself in the thick garment, "and I'm not complaining at the extra warmth, but how are we going to mask our thermal signatures?"  
A noise that sounded very incriminating came from within Ren's helmet, prompting Tali to cross her arms and offset her weight onto her left leg, her pointed glare evident in her body language alone. "Sorry," he managed, not entirely hiding the amusement in his tone, "but you look a little lost in there."  
Tali glanced down at herself. It was true, the overcloak had completely buried her under a sweeping curtain of hardy fabric, her normally distinctive figure barely detectable underneath. If it wasn't for her head poking out, she could well have been mistaken for a coat stand. "Well, at least we know it's working."

Ren shook his head but mercifully kept any further comments to himself. "Anyway, going back to hiding our thermal signatures, I think my uncle may be able to help with that."  
"Your uncle?" Tali echoed. "I think someone forgot to file a maintenance report."  
"Come again?"  
"Something my old boss and I used to say." Tali said with a quiet smirk at the memory of the private joke they had once shared. "Take it as being I have no idea what you're talking about."  
"I got the gist of it well enough." Ren replied, "Anyway my point was that back when we had our Va'Seras my uncle, Tarl'Gerrel vas Leegos, gave me something designed to mask thermal sigs and cloak the user from cursory geth scans." He gestured to a disc shaped object mounted on his back, its circumference no bigger than the length of Tali's pistol. "It's called a Galeya Shroud, according to my uncle they used to be used by our marines before the technology got integrated into infiltrator grade Omni-Tools. He figured it could come in handy while I was out here."  
"Really?" Tali stared at the device as if seeing it for the first time. "I always meant to ask what that thing was. Do you mind?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her as she motioned at his back.  
"Sure, it should just clip straight off."  
True to his word the masking device did and moments later Tali had it laying before her on one of the larger crates, her Omni-Tool working overtime to provide a full 3-D invasive scan of the object.  
"You did hear me when I said it'll only hide one of us right?" Ren remarked, his attention already on a new crate burgeoning with contraband weapon mods.  
"Of course." Tali never took her eyes from her Omni-Tool's readouts.  
Shaking his head, Ren began sifting through the mods.

* * *

"What are you doing with that thing anyway?" Ren asked some time later. "Wouldn't have thought it'd take you this long to find out how it operates."  
"I didn't exactly stop there." Replied Tali, her voice muffled over the hissing and sparking of a small set of tools she'd taken from a hidden pocket of her suit.  
Clipping the last of the grenades to his belt, Ren backtracked his way through the maze of containers to find her. The scene that met his eyes wasn't entirely unexpected, but he was still awestruck at how far Tali had progressed in such a short time. "You're rebuilding it aren't you?"  
"Back-engineering would be a better term," Tali replied, "hope you don't mind me dismantling yours a little."  
Though 'little' was an understatement judging by the mess of components littering Tali's crude work surface, Ren simply nodded. "If it stops the geth from seeing us, I'm all for it. Speaking of, we need to start moving or they'll be on us before long."  
"Almost done." Tali replied, indicating first his Shroud then a second, smaller replica that she was just beginning to seal up. "I won't get as much power efficiency out of mine, you've got about three hours, I'll probably be working on half of that. It's a bit crude but it should be enough to get me there in once piece."  
Ren shook his head at her ingenuity. "How'd you come up with replacement parts anyway?"  
"Most of these containers had a lot of useful salvage in them, mil-grade circuit boards, sic-cores, that kind of thing. Besides," she added playfully, "I _am_ a quarian."  
Ren gave an amused huff. "Let me see your guns for a bit while you're doing that, found some ammo mods in the cache back here that we should be putting to use."  
"Aren't they illegal?" Tali remarked, even as she passed her arms over.  
"For civilians yeah, but we're in the middle of the Terminus Systems with geth on our arses, I doubt anyone's really going to care."  
"You have a point. What exactly did you find?"  
"You know how strongly the geth rely on their shields? I managed to scrounge up some phasic rounds that are designed to bypass the kinetic barriers and rip into the synthetic chassis underneath. We won't have as much stopping power, but it's nothing a few extra bullets won't fix."  
"Sounds good." Replied Tali. "Hopefully I'll be finished here by the time you're done, just gotta seal it all back up really."  
"You're sure it'll work?"  
"Just make sure the guns are ready Ren."

* * *

True to her word Tali had sealed up both versions of the Galeya device and was busily attaching a criss-cross buckle strap to her makeshift variant by the time Ren returned.  
"All set?"  
"Just about." She replied, tightening the threads of the synthetic fibres together with a sharp tug. "The guns?"  
"Ready to rip some geth apart." Ren quipped, holding out the firearms. "Found you an assault rifle too."  
"Thanks." Tali accepted the guns readily and started clipping them into place but paused to eye her shotgun warily. "Remember what you said to me on Omega about checking your weapons over, especially when someone else gives them to you?"  
"I'd like to think I'm a trusted exception." Ren replied, his voice taking on a hint of feigned hurt.  
"I'm sure you would." Tali swung her favoured weapon into place at the small of her back and nodded at Ren's Shroud. "Patching it back up was easy but you'd better make sure it still works properly."  
"You don't trust your own handiwork?" Ren teased as he replaced the device and started up a diagnostic.  
"Lesson #1 in engineering: Test, test and test again."  
Ren nodded a moment later. "Looks good, can you see me on your scanner?"  
"Nothing. Let me try mine."  
Ren grinned in disbelief at his Omni-Tool's display. "I'm not picking you up either. Nice job Tali."  
She nodded and quickly donned her camouflaged overcoat, immediately grateful for the way it tied snugly under her chin and buried her in something that may not have passed for warmth, but was certainly a step up from numbing cold. "Is that everything?"  
"I think we're good, yeah."  
"Then I guess we'd better get out of here before the geth finally arrive." Replied Tali, gesturing towards the open doors of the hold. "Lead on Lieutenant."


	24. Chapter 24: Ice Warriors

**Chapter 24 - Ice Warriors  
**Tali's first step on a planet's surface was less than glamorous. Even as Ren was in the process of warning her about the apparent snowdrift they had come to rest in, Tali slipped off the lip of the open cargo hold. As her feet unexpectedly disappeared into the white powder a flash of panic ran through her and she let out a startled yell, arms flailing wildly for balance. She barely avoided falling on her rump before her feet found purchase on the questionably solid ground beneath. Cheeks flaring under her visor the quarian immediately rounded on her companion who sat legs dangling over the lip, trying desperately to look like he hadn't seen anything.  
"Not. A. Word." She glowered, angrily throwing the overcloak's hood into place as though it would better hide her shame.  
To his credit Ren merely raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and hopped down to join her, though the apparent ease with which he did it only furthered Tali's embarrassment. "Let's move," he offered, "geth LZ should only be a few klicks to the east."

Tali fell in behind him and together the pair began struggling their way out of the snowdrift. The waist high snow proved a great hindrance and each step meant gouging a trench-like path with their legs. Clouds of fine particles flew up into the air with every step, the tiny flakes settling onto their visors and gradually obstructing their view. Tali attempted to wipe them off the first few times but soon decided it was a futile gesture. Ren assured her their struggles shouldn't last long after picking a course that sent them across the base of the nearby mountains. It was there that the snow was supposed to thin out, allowing them to make faster, more efficient progress. Tali could only hope he was right. The snow itself wasn't so bad and on an ordinary day she could see herself enjoying the experience. Today however what had just hours ago been despondency was shifting into anger and every snowflake on her visor, every snow-laden step was serving only to further fuel her dissatisfaction.

_Two weeks._ Tali seethed. _Just two weeks I've been on Pilgrimage and already I've lost track of the amount of times I've been attacked, shot at, almost killed. I've had to watch good people die without knowing why and after two weeks of searching for the source of it feels like we still don't know anything. Even when we do learn something it only ever makes things worse, like the geth being involved_. Even in the bitter chill of Olav's wind Tali was flushed with the heat of her anger, and then began to get yet more vexed that the steaming sensation she felt wasn't melting the snow with every step. She knew it was an irrational desire, but rational feelings had long since departed her.

Eventually they made their way out of the drifts and onto the slopes of a nearby mountain. As Ren had promised the snow lessened here and together they made faster progress. They stuck to the lower slopes and slowly worked their way around the mountainside, inching ever closer to the geth dropsite. Occasionally the path thinned out and they had to move slowly across tight ledges that barely looked wide enough to accommodate their feet. Once a chunk of frozen rock gave way just as Ren moved to step across to it. The quarians had shared a wary glance. Neither of them needed to remark on how close an escape it had been.

As they progressed Tali's mind began to wander and it was as she let out a particularly heavy breath that she suddenly recalled the old vids when her unsuited ancestors had wandered cold terrain akin to this. Whenever they had talked or breathed wisps of steamy air would have flown from their mouths, dissipating into the icy wind's sweeping embrace. Experimentally Tali drew on her lungs and gently let a puff of deliberately warm air out through her regulator. An odd pang of disappointment followed when nothing showed outwardly, the suit's internal mechanisms apparently regulating the temperature of the air going out as much as that of the air going in. _At least we don't have to worry about it giving our position away I guess. _Even that thought didn't alleviate the stinging sensation that the envirosuit had stripped away yet another facet of her people's lineage. _Just another thing that hasn't gone the way it was supposed to._ She thought bitterly.

"Tali."  
She looked up for the first time in an age, abruptly aware of how engrossed she'd become in bemoaning her situation.  
"Geth patrol, three o'clock, off in the distance."  
She swivelled carefully to get a look. In the harsh glare of sunlight against the fields of snow Tali could at first see nothing and she strained her eyes to catch a glimpse. A sudden flicker of motion appeared in the corner of her vision and she focused her gaze toward it, willing the thing to make itself visible again. A second later and another brief flicker appeared, long enough for her to see whatever it was appeared distinctly artificial.  
"Looks like they're on their way to our ship, moving slower than I thought they'd be too. Guess they're not too worried about us." Ren observed. "Big mistake."  
"We're not going to let them go are we?" Asked Tali, surprising herself with just how desperate she was to vent some of her simmering frustration.  
"Not a chance, the minute they find the ship unoccupied, they start scouring these mountains for us." Ren paused to examine the area. "Not a good shot from here though...c'mon," he motioned with his hand, "that ledge up there should do the trick."

He moved at speed and Tali found herself hard pressed to keep up with him as they scrambled frantically up the mountainside, desperate to get into place before the geth moved out of range. Even through her enviro-suited hands Tali could feel the harsh chill of the ice. Jagged edges pressed into her palm as she dug her fingers into holds that she wasn't even sure were there. If she let herself think too much she could almost feel the icy rock giving way, could all but hear the faint crumbling that would precede disaster. _Concentrate! _Tali ordered herself. _Ren's getting further away while you sit here thinking too much!_ Redoubling her efforts the engineer pulled back the widening gap between them, previously unused muscles straining across her arms and shoulders. Beads of sweat trickled agonizingly down her face, a sensation she'd long since learnt to ignore. Putting it all out of her mind, Tali focused on watching Ren's choice of handholds, taking care to mimic his footings and avoid the riskier looking grips. In some ways it wasn't all that different from traversing the hull of the _Rayya_, in both cases a misplaced hand or a poor grip could mean the difference between life and death. Though if Tali had to admit it to herself, she preferred the idea of falling to her death than drifting off into the void, at least it would be over quicker.

In a matter of minutes the two climbers reached the ledge, an outcropping of rock that was just long enough to accommodate them both if they lay flat. Ren was already going prone as Tali arrived, his new Avenger III extending into firing readiness. Gritting her teeth at the chill from the frozen rock as she lowered herself down beside him, Tali drew out her own sniper rifle, shuffling her way forward both to get alongside her taller companion as well as reposition the thermal overcloak to cover a little more of her front. From the higher location they could see the grey shells of the figures off in the distance and as one both quarians sighted in on the patrol. Magnified within the confines of the scopes three instantly recognizable geth trooper platforms were wading their way through the snow with the ruthless determination only an artificial construct could muster. They marched in single file, something Tali could have kicked herself for not thinking to do themselves. Fortunately the geth still had a good distance to cover before finding any sign of their quarry's trail. As the lead geth cleaved their path into the drift its allies monitored to its left and right, familiar glowing head lamps burning ominously across the snow.

"They're at a fair range, gonna need to lead our shots on them. Can you manage that?" Asked Ren.  
Tali nodded. "Just wish I'd had some time to practice with this thing."  
"Well now's your chance." Ren offered as he set his eye to the scope of his gun. "They're too far out to hit us effectively anyway, easy prey even if we do miss." The quarian officer felt a familiar thrill of adrenaline course through his veins as he placed his crosshair over the head of the lead platform._ I'm starting to see what the ground pounders love about this. _"These things are going to have one hell of a kick Tali so just relax, pace your shots. They'll try to put you off by shooting, ignore their fire. Take your time to line up the shot and we'll drop 'em right through their head cans."  
"Right." Tali's voice was steady but her breath carried with it an element of nervousness that she desperately tried to expunge. She had fired guns like this before, her father had seen to that, but it had been months ago now and the sniper rifle had never been something she'd clicked with. Using one in an actual combat scenario had never been something she'd expected to have to do. Putting the concerns out of her mind, Tali instead drew on her frustration and anger at how badly life had been treating them so far. Her horror at the deaths of her fellow Pilgrims aboard the _Tarmeena_, the terrible lengths the turian dealer on Omega had forced them to go through to get the information they needed, her own depression at Torr's death and the pent up fury at their seemingly never-ending quest for an answer to it all. Everything she had, she focused on putting into the first shot.

"I'll take out the pointman, you hit the straggler. As soon as they're down we both finish the middle man. They'll have the usual high shields, so make sure your phasic rounds are on."  
Tali checked the indications on the holographic lens and nodded. "All set."  
"Alright, sight up on your target."  
Tali shifted her limbs to better cradle the rifle, her elbows scuffling gently against the ice.  
"Remember the training, ease your breathing, fire between intakes."  
Tali pulled the scope ever so slightly up and to the left, placing the trifecta of lines within the scope directly over the rear of the target's head.  
"Hmm...I don't like the range, or the wind." Ren whispered in concentration. "Let's try a few centimetres above their heads to compensate for drop...and maybe another two to the right for wind."  
Tali followed his instructions exactingly, briefly realising how his calm tone was having the same effect on her as it once did on Sarel'Geta. It felt unnatural to have the crosshairs deliberately centred off target, but she trusted his judgement.  
"We fire on three. One...Two... "  
Tali exhaled.  
"Three!"

The Avenger thumped sharply against her shoulder and the scope flared with the pale blue of a mass accelerator discharge. Tali blinked and fought to bring the recoil under control. A frantic second passed as she struggled to find the targets again and then suddenly the geth she'd fired at was in her sights once more. It had buckled to its knees in the snow, the construct's right arm a tangled mess of broke plates and wires. As the head lamp swung in her direction, searching for the source of the bullet Tali realised it wasn't dead and she fired again, remembering to aim above and a little less to the right this time. Her efforts were rewarded with a new hole in the geth's chest cavity and a spurt of synthetic fluid that layered the snow. The geth's iconic "eye" winked out almost synchronously as the power source suffered a critical failure.

_Ignore the adrenaline. Focus._ Tali repeated to herself as she brought the rifle back under control. _Breathe, breathe._ Through the scope she glimpsed the first of the geth lying broken on the ground but spared it no time as she drew up the third and final target. The last remaining platform seemed to be staring directly at her through the crosshairs and was firing short, perfectly controlled bursts from its pulse rifle, the rounds appearing to stray alarmingly close in the magnified lens. It took all of her willpower to ignore the incoming barrage and fire again. A second distinctive -Thoom!- echoed her own shot and Tali felt the reverberations of both deep within her chest. The geth went down immediately, a pair of gaping wounds blown clean through its torso.

Tali looked over at Ren, who met her questioning glance with one of his own. "That your kill or mine?" He asked, turning his attention back to their targets.  
"I was hoping _you_ knew."  
"No clue." He replied, drifting his sights across the fallen geth. "Looks like we got 'em all though. Nice shooting."  
She nodded and examined the results for herself. The geth lay broken and shattered across the plain, the cool metal of their plates already acquiring a thin dusting of snow. Her first target was exactly as she'd left it and their second lay brokenly on its side, its pulse rifle lying a few metres away. Tali shook her head as she focused on Ren's first target as he, apparently satisfied, clambered to his feet. "I can see you've done this before." She remarked, impressed by the fractured remnants of the AI's headlamp.  
Ren chuckled sheepishly. "Honestly, that was my second shot. I got too confident with the first and it ended up somewhere in the drifts."  
"So much for perfection." Tali teased, glad to be up off the still freezing ice shelf.  
"Who needs perfection?" The Lieutenant replied light-heartedly. "Nobody'd be any fun."  
"Very philosophical of you." She observed dryly.  
"I try." He quipped with a look that said he was grinning under his darkened visor. "C'mon, we need to get a move on before more of them arrive. Besides, the sooner we get someplace warmer the happier I'll be."  
"Keelah Selai."

* * *

Eventually the two pilgrims made their way around the base of the mountain and began crossing an icy plateau, their progress slowed by the slippery surface. It was here that the Galeya Shroud began to be more hindrance than help. The weight of Tali's jury-rigged unit had been causing the straps to dig painfully into her shoulders ever since they'd started their journey. But here on the ice the weight was throwing off her balance and her awkward steps were making the unit swing slightly with the motion. Every time it shifted the straps rubbed against her skin and Tali was sure that underneath her suit the skin would be raw. She gritted her teeth, determined to ignore the unpleasant sensations, along with the knowledge that Ren's own unit weighed far less than her own. Unable to help a jealous glance at her friend's back, Tali shook her head as another step made her wince. _How to get it out of my mind? _A sudden thought struck her. _Sonax's Pax VI mil-grade circuitry board._ _How would you dismantle it and then rebuild it, only better?_ Immediately her analytical mind and photographic memory set to work, bypassing security walls, disabling hidden 'limpet' code charges designed to overload her probing Omni-Tool and then stripping away wiring and processing chips with practised ease.

She was halfway through dissecting the last of the manufacturing hard locks when Ren brought them to a stop. "Geth LZ should be just over this next rise," he warned, "should be high enough up to get a decent look at their positions."  
With a sinking heart, Tali watched as he began to get down on his front in the snow again and resolutely, she mimicked his actions. "Are we going to be engaging them with the Avengers from up here?" She asked as the pair began to crawl their way up the rest of the gentle slope.  
"Depends on how things look down there," Ren called back over his shoulder, "but if we can get in without drawing attention I'd prefer it."  
Tali ignored the freezing bite of the cold against her forearms as she grimly dragged herself through the snow after him until the ground suddenly levelled out for a few feet before dropping away into a huge icy plain. Glimpses of the geth dropships far below were all the motivation the two quarians needed to slow their movements and inch their way to the lip of the overhang on which they were perched. Lying as still as they dared and hoping the camouflaged overcloaks and shroud technology really was enough to hide them from sight, the pair examined the scene before them.

The plain was so extreme that it disappeared far into the horizon, a barren and drab mass of ice and snow so vast it threatened to swallow up all around it. To their left was one of the last remaining mountains in the local range, the base of which ran down to the bottom of the plain whilst its slopes buried themselves within the cliff face upon which the two quarians now lay. Far below the two iconic dropships dominated the featureless terrain, their claw-like landing gear biting firmly into the frozen rock below. It wasn't the geth ships that drew their attention however, but the elegant starship with which they shared their landing zone. Instantly both quarians knew it wasn't of geth origin, the design alone was too wrong, too sleek and architecturally pleasing to be the AI's handiwork. Shaped in a distinct nod to ancient delta-winged patterns the ship's body was all but indistinguishable from its wings, with a ring of powerful thrusters peeking out from the semi-circular stern. Though it appeared unarmed and built more for comfort than combat, Tali's critical eye could tell the vessel could easily outrun most ships of comparable size. She didn't have to guess which of the races had crafted the ship, the stark white hull daubed with streaks of red and familiar lettering confirmed Ren's earlier guess; the executive shuttle was unquestionably human in origin and had undoubtedly cost someone a lot of credits somewhere along the way.

"Definitely someone else here," Ren commented, "doesn't make sense for the geth to have captured a ship like that. And this cliff we're on shelters the landing zone. That's not something an AI would care about."  
"Maybe they were never after the ship at all." Tali mused.  
"It's possible, and a lot more likely, they're after whoever flew it here. Wouldn't mind knowing who that is."  
"There's a third possibility," Tali offered, drawing a questioning glance from Ren, "what if they're not here to chase down anyone? Maybe they're here to guard something. Or someone." She added as her train of thought got the best of her.  
Ren had to process that for a moment before replying. "You don't seriously think the geth are actually working with someone do you?"  
Tali shrugged, embarrassed at having brought up the foolish notion. "I don't know what to think, but it doesn't look like the geth are doing much to find the owner of that ship does it?"  
He turned his attention back to the idle ships and had to concede she had a point; that didn't mean she was right however. "For all we know whoever or whatever they want might not be on the ship anyway, they might have landed and set off running. They geth'll have gone off after them, and this will be the rearguard just in case anyone tries to get back to that ship."  
"I guess that does make more sense." She conceded.  
"C'mon Tali, you know as well as I do the geth haven't worked with or under anyone since they revolted against us in the Morning War. AI don't forget and there's no way they'll let anyone rule over them again after what we tried to do."  
"You're right," Tali agreed, "but if that's what happened, how are we going to find that shuttle's owner with an army of geth after them? They could be anywhere by now, maybe even dead already."  
"Maybe not," Ren offered, "you see that fissure over there?"

Tali followed his nod and spotted the narrow cleft in the icy mountainside, a thin crack in the indomitable wall that was indistinguishable at first glance. Cleverly hidden, but something about it seemed off the longer she studied it. _The light source,_ she realised, finally registering the odd blue glow, _it's artificial.  
_"Looks like Torr's contact has been here before." Ren remarked. Evidently he'd noticed the anomaly too.  
"And long enough to set up an outpost of some kind. Do you think it's a smuggler?"  
"Probably. Guess he picked up the wrong cargo this time though."  
Even as they watched a geth trooper platform appeared from the side of one of the dropships and approached the fissure, eventually stopping outside to take up a guard position.  
"Well," Tali said, "that's put a servo-wrench in the coupling arrays."  
"It's not just that one either, there's at least five, no six other units down there."  
Tali examined the plain and confirmed Ren's estimate. In total seven geth platforms were monitoring the landing site, some standing as perpetual sentinels, others milling about as sentries on random and unpredictable patrol patterns.  
"This isn't going to be easy." Ren muttered. "Then again, if it was I'd be wondering what kind of trap we were walking in to."  
"Can't we snipe them off from up here?"  
He shook his head. "Don't really want to risk it, one geth is formidable enough and we've no idea how many consciousnesses they have in those dropships. That many geth together in one place, they're going to zero in on us fast. But," he continued, drawing his rifle from under his cloak, "that doesn't mean we can't get a closer look."

Tali remained quiet as he set his eye to the scope and aimed out over the plain. The wind howled and tugged at her hood but she resisted the urge to drag it back into place. Galeya shroud or no, the geth still had optical sensors.  
"You ready for a really stupid idea?" Ren asked, breaking the lingering silence between them.  
"Considering that we've blindly followed two geth dropships in a vastly inferior and very visible ship, and have now walked into what looks like a perfect ambush site, a stupid idea would probably be better than any we've had so far."  
Ren swallowed a grim chuckle at the jibe. "We need to get into that cave system," he indicated the fissure, "but there's no way we're both getting down there without being spotted. So, the best option I can see is for one of us to work our way down while the other guides their movements from here."  
Tali let the implications of his plan sink in. It made sense and it was the best solution they'd come up with so far. The only problem was knowing who would be going into the jaws of the varren.  
"You're the better shot." Tali said with forced levity, before she had a chance to talk herself out of it.  
"Yeah." Ren responded reluctantly. "Didn't really want to bring it up though. You sure you're up for this?"  
"No, but let's get it over with before I have second thoughts."  
Ren seemed to be wrestling with himself, but finally acquiesced. "Alright. There's a slope on the right that looks like you should be able to use to get down there; it's got a few icy stalagmites scattered about too, if you sprint between those when I tell you to, you should be able to make it down without a...what did you call it?"  
"Servo-wrench in the coupling array?"  
"Right. Once you're down on the plain things might get a little tricky, but the overcloak and shroud should help you slip under their radar if you keep to the base of the cliffs."  
"I'm ready." _Liar.  
_"Just remember, take your time and wait for my cue. They're only going to see you if we screw it up so keep a level head and we'll get through this in once piece."  
"Got it." She replied. "But how are you going to get yourself down?"  
"We'll seal that bulwark when we come to it." Ren replied. "Right now we need to make sure at least one of us gets inside that cave system before any patrols track us down."  
Tali wasn't happy with his answer but she didn't try to talk him out of it, mainly because she couldn't think of a better solution herself.  
"See if you can't start working your way down," directed Ren, "I'll monitor things from up here."  
Steeling herself for the gauntlet ahead, Tali nodded and reluctantly began her descent down the narrow cliff path.

* * *

"Freeze!"

_If he uses that term one more time while we're on this frigid planet, _Tali swore,_ I'll hack the olfactory sensors on his suit to replace every scent with stale vorcha dung._ Even so, she dutifully hid behind the final patch of spiked ice along the edge of the cliff path. She'd made it almost the entire way down to the plain now and against all odds the geth appeared not to have spotted her. Whether through careful calculation by Ren or sheer blind luck she wasn't sure. When moving Tali'd kept her attention on the icy slope and when still she'd focused on silencing her breathing, never sure just how close to her hiding place the geth might be.

She'd barely had time to glance towards the landing zone, so preoccupied was she with following her friend's instructions but now, as the gap between her position and the plains constantly evaporated, Tali could feel the menacing hulls of the dropships starting to loom above her. Though still and silent it would only take one alert geth to bring the combined firepower of both ships down on top of her and Tali doubted there'd be anything left to speak of her ever being there by the time they were half-way through the first salvo. The taste of sweat on her tongue accompanied the uncomfortable thought and she licked her lips instinctively, suddenly aware of how dry they were. Down here, without the howling of the wind the engineer could hear the faint whirrings of shifting servos on the other side of the rocks, the normally welcome sound now dangerous and malevolent. Holding her breath needlessly, the mechanic strained her ears to listen as it faded away.

"Outcropping," hissed the voice in her ear, making her heart skip a beat, "thirty metres...Go!"

She went instantly, padding out over the fresh snow as swiftly as she dared. Every crunch underfoot made her flinch, every swish of the trailing overcloak increasing the mounting desire to break into a dead run. Sinking her neck into her shoulders and hunching to hide her silhouette as much as she could, Tali ignored the sensations of fear, didn't question how the overcloak's optical camouflage was holding up to scrutiny. _We committed to this long ago, no going back now._

And so it went on for sprint after desperate sprint, moment after stressful moment, prayer after heartfelt prayer. Eventually over half of the landing site had been crossed and as Tali moved into the shelter of some automated refuelling equipment, she felt the first inklings of hope. _We might just make it after all._ There was just enough time to catch her breath before Ren's next order came through. "Another outcropping, off to the right." A pause. "Move."

Having lost count long ago, Tali exited cover for the umpteenth time that hour. She passed the human ship at a brisk pace and though Tali refused to let herself turn her head, her eyes couldn't help but flicker over the impressive lines for just a second before the sides of her veil snatched it from view. Crouch-walking the few extra metres to the outcropping Ren had indicated, she slipped gratefully into its embrace. A quick glance behind showed how far she'd come and Tali couldn't deny her own surprise at how well the hastily conceived plan was working. Only a few hundred metres more to the caves, she thought, risking a stealthy peek in that direction.

"Tali, you see the crates up ahead?" As ever, Ren's voice startled her, but she quickly spotted the small batch of containers standing just to the side of one of the dropships. Evidently the geth had begun unloading cargo, though for what reason she couldn't begin to guess.  
"Got 'em."  
"Good. Get ready to run."  
Ignoring the desire to remain hunched up behind the relative safety of the outcropping, Tali wrapped one hand around a pale blue icicle and flexed the aching muscles in her cramped thighs.  
"3...2...1...Go."

Tali lurched forward and then abruptly froze behind the outcropping as a bright green blip on the fringes of her Heads-Up Display suddenly flicked over to an ominous red without warning. _The shroud! _A more anxious glance confirmed everything she'd dreaded. The power core she'd pieced together was running on space dust. Throwing caution to the wind Tali immediately fired up her Omni-Tool and isolated the program, feeding it as many extra resources as she could. The makeshift device refused to accept them. _No! No, no, no, no, no, not now! You're supposed to last longer than this!_ She cried mentally, jerking back and carelessly thumping the heavy unit against the rock wall in desperation as panic crept in. The counter on her HUD flared green and the power bar jumped up teasingly for just a fraction of a second before the indicator faded once more into mocking scarlet._ Dammit! _

"Ren, my shroud just died."  
"Come again?" He demanded, alarm ringing in his tone.  
"The power's gone," she hissed, praying the nearby geth units couldn't hear her, "it's dead."  
"Bloody..." He swore. "How far are you..." High above in his vantage point Ren swept his scope to the left, searching for the entrance to the caves. "Too far." He decided dejectedly.  
"I know." Tali replied as acute awareness of just how vulnerable she now was began to sink in. "I can't stay here Ren, they'll find me soon."  
"I know..." Ren said reluctantly, "there's nothing for it, we're going to have to go loud."  
She didn't need to ask what that meant.  
"I don't like it," he continued, "but you're going to have to sprint for the caves while I try and draw their attention." The quarian shifted his interest right again, wincing privately as Tali's small figure briefly appeared in his crosshairs mere seconds after a patrolling geth trooper. _Bloody gutsy lass._ Drawing on his training to keep the instinctual panic down, Ren kept sweeping and finally found what he was looking for. "Tali, I've got a target on the far side of one of the dropships. I'm going to take him out, should get the others to come investigate. When I say go, head for that cave as fast as you can but _stay aware_. Use whatever cover you can find along the way and if you get spotted, you're going to have to fight."  
Tali swallowed hard, understanding completely what he was asking of her. S_uicide run, it'll be seconds before the nearest geth spots me. If I'm lucky._ "If I make it?"  
"_When_." Ren corrected firmly. "_When_ you make it. Find somewhere to hole up, bunker down the best you can. I'll thin 'em out from up here, then work my way to you. I know it's a lot to ask Tali, but it's the only option. Can you do it?"  
"Yes." She replied with a confidence she didn't feel. Nodding more to reassure herself than anything else, Tali quickly undid the buckles of the jury-rigged Galeya shroud and set the unit down beside her. Being free from the strain of carrying it made her suddenly realise exactly how heavy it had been and she rolled her shoulders, flexing her taught back muscles. _Not enough, I need to lose more._ A reluctant but determined hand reached up for the clasp of the camouflaged, thermal lined overcloak as the matching extremity tightened around the grip of her shotgun. Tali took one last deep breath in through her nostrils. "I'm ready."  
"Keelah carry you on his wings. 3...2...1...Go!"

The stillness of the air exploded with the thunder of the Avenger III and Tali was up and running before the noise had begun to fade. The overcloak lay crumpled in the snow behind her, the Storm III gripped determinedly in her hands. In the corner of her vision she saw geth moving, sprinting not towards the dropship like they'd hoped, but for concealed positions. Belatedly she realised that the artificials would have known the moment the target platform had dropped off the neural link they shared. _No sense in checking up on scrap metal._ Luckily their entire attention seemed to be focused on the sniper so she abandoned all caution and doubled her speed, the noise quarian's heavy footsteps seeming to engulf the entire plain. Changing course to skirt the stack of crates Ren had attempted to direct her to, Tali put the thick steel between herself and the geth off to her left, then felt a flash of fear as she moved past only to find a geth trooper moving straight towards the cover she'd just vacated. There wasn't time to think as the quarian's shotgun came up and the trooper raised its rifle, the cyclic generators pulsing a faint blue as a round left the chamber and punched into the sprinting girl.

Determined to carry on no matter the pain, Tali shrugged off the blow and kept moving as more bullets began to strike her. Oddly she realised she wasn't feeling any pain and then her brain finally began to catch up. _The kinetic barriers!_ The thought came but there was no time to register it. Instead, as more rounds from the pulse rifle battered themselves against her shields Tali stepped into point blank range of the platform and fired. The thud as it hit the snow covered ground meant little to her and she increased her pace, trying desperately to regain the momentum the geth trooper had broken with the sheer force of his shots. Another sniper shot rang out, but there was no way to tell if it had hit anything. A barrage of return fire went up but none of it sounded nearby so she resisted the urge to look and sprinted even faster, her death-defying run quickly swallowing up the last few desperate metres.

Eyes grim with determination, Tali plunged into the fissure and ran straight into darkness.


	25. Chapter 25: Warrens

**Chapter 25 - Warrens  
**_Ba-dum-Ba-dum. Ba-dum-Ba-dum. Ba-dum-Ba-dum. _Tali's heart pounded rhythmically in her chest, each strained thump filling her ears. Ice cold blood ran through her veins as her lungs swelled against her ribcage and the hairs on her forearms stood on end. _They're going to find me. They're going to find me and kill me. Keelah please don't let them find me._ She'd found the alcove by touch more than sight, the sudden shift from the brightness of the snowy landscape to the fissure's black interior rendering her eyes useless. Initial fears of geth lying in ambush passed as soon as it became apparent that nobody was shooting at her. Then, fear of discovery set in. Believing her eyes wouldn't adjust to the darkness in time, Tali ran her hand along the left side wall, hoping desperately that there might be a small cave dug into the ice. The alcove, half-occupied by a frozen stalagmite, wasn't quite what she was looking for but her kind had long since given up on being choosers. Now she stood at awkward angle, her back pressed against the ice, the edges of the stalagmite pressing in toward her left hip and leaving her precious little room to manoeuvre. There was just enough freedom to level her shotgun out towards the main passage without giving away her hiding place.

Her only hope was that if any geth did approach the entrance to the caves they would keep their attention focused straight ahead. Even the briefest of glances at the alcove would expose her and without the concealment of the shroud she'd be lucky to get a shot off. The seconds ticked slowly by as the battle continued to rage outside, the constant din of pulse rifle fire occasionally broken by the deafening -Thoom!- of a sniper round. At least she knew Ren was still alive; for now.

Seconds became minutes that slipped agonizingly by and still no sign of geth reinforcements. Tali's right leg, supporting the majority of her bodyweight, began to go numb. _Where are they?_ The geth's usual swarm tactics of overwhelming numbers and firepower couldn't be carried out with just the few platforms outside. _They're going to come from the ships!_ Cold realisation clutched her as images of the lingering geth dropships filled her mind. Tali had already begun to shift her weight to move back outside, knowing Ren couldn't survive against those odds, when a nagging sensation at the back of her mind made her hesitate. She bit her lip, unable to place it. Every instinct save one demanded she race outside and do what she could to thin the geth ranks for her friend. Frustrated at her own indecision, Tali shifted her right leg out into the passage, thrown off balance by the way the numbed limb refused to properly support her weight. Then it struck her.

The gunfire outside had lessened. It hadn't faded entirely, but what had before sounded like a constant, well coordinated stream of rifle fire now sounded more like isolated pockets of defiance. Another distinctive sniper shot sounded and suddenly she pieced it together. The geth numbers had thinned and Ren was still shooting, still picking them off. No new platforms had emerged from the ships to support the guards and if the ships themselves had fired or taken to the skies, she'd have heard it. No, if any reinforcements were to arrive, they would surely come from the same cave system in which she now cowered. _So why haven't they passed me yet? They can't be that far in can they?_ She wondered, glancing down the stretch of ice that led deeper into the mountains. Confused and still fighting off a desire to return for Ren, Tali reluctantly slipped back into the alcove.

It went against everything she'd known and been taught about the geth and Tali racked her brain, trying to decipher the thought processes behind their actions. The AI were beings of logic, their cognitive functions governed by mathematics of the highest order. What they were doing now, abandoning others of their kind to be picked apart by a lone sniper, didn't match up with any form of logic or behavioural patterns Tali had encountered from the geth before._ Have they somehow evolved? Upgraded? Or have we just been wrong all along? Maybe the dropships never had that many platforms inside to begin with?_

The gunfire outside slowed and finally stopped altogether after a last definitive shot from the Avenger III. Tali waited patiently in the alcove, knowing Ren would chastise her for exposing herself now. She strained her ears, listening less for signs of any geth arriving and more for Ren's approach. Tense minutes passed and it wasn't until a dark shadow passed over her hiding place that Tali detected her friend. She eased her finger off the trigger, shivering as a lingering surge of fear shot through her.

"Ren." She whispered.  
The shadow jumped and spun to face her, rifle barrel aimed directly at her chest. For a second she doubted her actions and then the gun slowly lowered. "Bloody hell Tali," he hissed, "you never been taught how to introduce yourself properly?"  
"I had my shotgun out." She replied sarcastically as she struggled out of the alcove. Ren held out his arm and she took it gratefully, almost collapsing the instant she tried putting weight on her right leg.  
"You alright?" Ren asked, stooping to help hold her weight.  
"I'm ok, really." She replied as she straightened and leant back against the icy wall, slowly stretching and flexing her leg. "Just gone numb from standing still too long. Waiting for you." She added pointedly.  
"Yeah," he chuckled, "sorry about that. Had a few geth to send back to the mainframe, you know how it is."  
Tali nodded and hesitated before speaking again. "I-I almost thought you wouldn't make it through. The guards, the dropships..."  
"The dropships never budged." Ren said, stepping back to get a good look down the rest of the corridor. The glance offered him little to go on. The passage was too dark to make out much but if he had to guess, there was a blind turn of some kind up ahead. "Seems weird though," he continued, "two functional dropships with no crew? Not even a backup squad to spare between them?"  
"And no reinforcements from further in the caves either," Tali added.  
Ren cocked his head in that quizzical manner that said he was trying to work something out. "I'm starting to wonder if these geth are really all that they seem."  
"I've been thinking that too," replied Tali, testing her leg again and finding herself able to stand again, "and I get the feeling that we're being led into something."

Without warning the whole passage was suddenly bathed in light. The two quarians flinched and threw up a hand to shield their eyes, both retaining the sense to place their backs against the nearest wall. Blinking furiously as their eyes again tried to adjust to the sudden shift, the only sounds were the distinct fizz of poor quality LEDs activating and the subtle mechanical clacking of Tali's shotgun. Tali considered adjusting the brightness settings of her visor but quickly thought better of it. By the time she'd calibrated it her eyes would have attuned themselves and she'd be turning it right back up. Instead the two quarians waited with baited breath to see if anyone would appear to take advantage of their disorientation.

When nobody did and the stark light reflecting off the surface of the ice began to dim and little cracks in the frozen water became visible again, the pair prised open their squinting eyelids long enough to glance down either end of the chilly corridor. _Nothing.  
_"Well if that little surprise doesn't confirm things..." Ren remarked, the butt of his rifle tucked firmly into his shoulder. Tali had a feeling it wouldn't be leaving that position for some time.  
"Do you think the geth are on their way?"  
"Maybe," he admitted, "thought they would've pounced when they hit us with the lights though." He glanced upwards, gaze following the string of LED lights that ran the length of the passage, linked by a thick black cable. "My gut tells me this," he indicated the lighting with his free hand, "is their way of inviting us in."  
"Inviting us in to what?" Tali asked darkly.  
Ren offered no answers. "I guess we're gonna find out. Stick close and watch your corners, don't want any more ambushers hiding in alcoves."

Stifling a grin despite the gravity of the situation Tali fell into step behind him, making a point of keeping slightly off to his right should she need to open fire. She was grateful at how the young lieutenant was casually allaying her fears and suspected he didn't even realise he was doing it. _He'll make a good officer one day, maybe even a good admiral._ She always had great respect for Han'Gerrel and whilst some of it was undoubtedly due to her father's strong bond with the man, Tali herself had always been impressed by the quiet intensity and sincerity of the admiral. It was a quality his son shared and privately she knew that when his father's term was up, Ren would be an ideal replacement.

As they made their way slowly through the narrow corridors of the caverns Tali watched Ren's movements carefully, trying to mimic the finely-tuned military precision of his actions. She thought about admitting she almost ran back for him, but decided better of it. _He'd only tell me it was a stupid idea. Besides, the last thing we need now is my voice giving us away._ Ren abruptly froze in front of her and Tali came to a stop beside him, eyes scanning the tight space ahead and to the sides for signs of hostiles. She saw nothing and was about to question Ren when he pointed at the base of the ice-blue wall ahead. "You see it?"

She didn't, not at first. The wall seemed featureless, deep blue ice tinged with fine particles of long settled snow. In the sheen of the ice she could see the reflection of the small snowdrift on the opposite side and- There! Barely detectable in the reflection was the grey form of something tucked away behind the snowdrift on the opposite wall. She couldn't make out exactly what it was but the hard edges bespoke something artificial. Something that had been left there deliberately. "How did you spot that?" She whispered, holding back the urge to step away.  
"Luck," Ren replied, "seems to be on our side for a change. It's probably an anti-personnel mine; c'mon, let's see if we can't double back and find another way around."

Five minutes of backtracking later and they discovered another blind turnoff that they'd missed. Instead of another corridor the turn opened up into a decent sized but poorly lit cave. It was empty but as the two quarians made their way inside, Tali noticed something odd.  
"You see that Ren? On the floor?"  
He followed her finger but shook his head. "What am I looking at?"  
"Those marks on the ice, they look like the same kind of scratches we used to make back on the Rayya whenever we were dragging heavy equipment around."  
"Good eye. Someone's moved something out of here recently." Ren realised as he stooped to examine the thin white lines. "Which means either someone's been here for a while, or they've been storing things here for some time."  
"Perhaps our smuggler theory wasn't far wrong after all."  
"Maybe, still doesn't explain the geth though."  
"I've almost given up believing we'll get an answer to that." Tali said as they moved cautiously across the cave.  
"If they're part of the reason that we're being attacked then we'll find out Tali," replied Ren firmly, "that I promise you."  
She looked at him curiously. "Glad to see one of us still has some faith."  
"Worst thing you can do is let the enemy take your hope. Now c'mon, I want to see where this side passage leads."  
"We'll need to be careful, they might have mined this route too."  
"True. Pretty stupid to be using kit like that in a cave network though, could bring the whole mountain down on top of our heads." Ren observed scornfully.  
Tali tried to shake off the sudden vision of being buried alive under tons of ice and snow. "Good thing we're not claustrophobic huh?"  
"Indeed."

* * *

Conversation again deferred to action and the pair slowly made their way further into the ever expanding network of tunnels. Ren usually led the way, his familiar assault rifle poking into corridors and around tight turns long before either quarian exposed themselves. A cave here, a turn there and the occasional slippery slope all disappeared behind them before they spotted their first geth. It was as they moved through another poorly lit side passage that Tali spotted the platform. The AI stood with its back to them, just outside the western exit of the cave they were passing through. The two quarians had been making their way to the northern archway when Tali grabbed Ren's forearm. The Lieutenant looked up immediately at the sudden pressure. He followed her gaze and shook his head at Tali's querying glance, instead gesturing silently towards their original destination. The meaning was clear. _Ignore it, slip by while we have the chance. _Tali had other ideas though and shook her own head emphatically in response. _Not this time Ren, not now I've got an opportunity. _Herfriend's exasperation was evident when he thrust his arm towards the exit again, this time with more vigour and a subtle tensing of his shoulder muscles. Tali had been expecting his resistance and ignored it, instead keying open her Omni-Tool.

She'd been running an idea through her head for the last few twists and turns through the passages, the scheme set into motion by a memory of pre-Pilgrimage training and many years of detailed consideration. The odds of running into geth while on Pilgrimage for any quarian were astronomically small but the fleet had always maintained a small class on encountering the AI, more for the sake of their history than any practical applications. Most of the class had highlighted the best ways to either avoid or flee the artificial constructs but Tali had always harboured a strong interest in the geth since her talent in engineering became apparent so many years ago and these rudimentary discussions quickly bored her. It was as the instructor began detailing AI hacking techniques that her ears had perked up. The technique was complicated, required the user to precisely tune their Omni-Tool to their target's neural network node and was guaranteed to expose your position to the target the moment the short lived program succumbed to the geth's continual purges. Regardless it had been something new for the engineer to learn and she had stored the template of the program in her Omni-Tool ever since.

The program was lodged somewhere deep within the device but with her unerring memory it took Tali only seconds to locate it. As she pulled up the program and began making some swift alterations Ren dropped into a crouch beside her, jaw clenched in agitation. Unaware of her intentions the military man was having a hard time refusing the urge to discipline her like any other man under his command. If anyone in the navy had dared refuse his orders so blatantly he would have busted them back down to ensign in a heartbeat. It was only the close proximity of the AI that kept his tongue clamped firmly between his teeth as he quietly seethed. A hand on his shoulder brought his head around sharply, his steely glare firing back into the silver iris' that awaited him. Despite his misgivings he immediately recognized the quiet confidence there. The last time he'd seen it, she'd been back-engineering his shroud, crafting a working replica from little more than scrap metal. Tali's eyes narrowed, perhaps she'd not been encouraged by the angry defiance he harboured in his own. Pointedly, she bent her right arm at the elbow and, curling her hand into a fist, pressed it over her heart twice. The gesture was unmistakable. _Trust me. _Seeing no other ways of ending the silent argument well, Ren raised his free hand in begrudging surrender.

Wishing she could offer her friend something more, Tali quickly finished up her modifications and keeping her fingers over the activation key, began to work her way closer to the geth. Ren's eyes grew along with his incredulity. Raising his arms in an expression of utter disbelief the Lieutenant watched, astounded, as Tali shuffled her way across the cave, bringing herself ever closer to the geth, ever closer to detection. He almost ended the charade right there, raising his rifle to drop the platform in the back before the stupid woman got herself killed. Only Tali's proximity to the unit kept his finger off the trigger. Still he remained ready, hoping the young engineer would at least still have the sense to move aside when the geth inevitably discovered her. Right eye still watching alertly through his scope Ren saw a brief flash of light originate from Tali's Omni-Tool a split-second before a shimmering haze of orange current suddenly covered the geth's exterior.

The synthetic's rifle came up and Ren would have dropped it there and then if Tali hadn't bounded across the last few feet and driven a combat knife up into the base of its head. Somewhere between his confusion about the presence of the knife and shock at the sudden shift of tactics from Tali, Ren's many military briefings on the geth popped into the forefront of his mind. The processing core, located adjacent to the unit's memory banks, was at the nape of the neck, just below the platform's 'skull'. Exactly where Tali had just planted her blade. His frustration with his ally evaporated instantly and an awed grin split his previously grim features. His smile only widened as the geth sunk to the floor, headlamp already winking out. Tali ripped her knife free just as Ren stood to his feet but any congratulations he had to offer went unheeded. Re-adjusting her angle the machinist plunged the knife back in again, her wrist twisting violently as she worked frantically to pick away at some part of the interior workings.

"Tali wh-"  
"Not now!" She hissed, attention focused solely on her bladework.  
Ren watched her with a mixture of bemusement and helplessness. Evidently she was doing something vital but damned if he knew what it was, or how he could aid her. Instead he stepped back and watched in silence as Tali scrabbled desperately at the geth's insides, her fingers slick with creamy synthetic fluid. His eyes roamed the cavern cautiously, the Lieutenant ready to draw aim at a moment's notice should any more of the platforms arrive to investigate. If they were approaching they were doing it silently; the only sound he could make out was the insistent scratching of Tali's knife within the geth's metallic interior. Abruptly Ren noticed the orange sheen on the fallen geth beginning to fade, something that Tali had evidently noted as well, judging by the curse that spilled from her lips. A second later it disappeared entirely, but not before something popped loose of the geth's core workings.

Tali scooped up the fallen object instantly, fluid-coated knife falling forgotten from her hands. An open port on her Omni-Tool stood ready and she wasted no time in linking it to the recovered device. She waited with baited breath and when the data flashed up on screen, she sank back onto the icy floor with a sigh of relief.  
"Gotcha!" She declared triumphantly, a forearm unconsciously reaching up to wipe the exterior of her tinted faceplate.  
Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, Ren leant up against a nearby stalagmite and looked down at Tali with a questioning dip of his head.  
Absorbed in the stream of data running across the screen, Tali didn't register his presence until he cleared his throat.  
"That was pretty impressive Tali. Could have bloody well gotten us both killed, and for what I don't know, but knifing a damn geth? Wish I'd brought a holo-cam."  
Her head shifted from side to side, her shoulders began to quake and the relieved giggling that followed made Ren question just how much wider his grin could get.

"I'm sorry," she managed finally as she fought to regain control of her breathing, "I just- I saw a chance to finally get some answers, maybe even get an idea of what we're facing down here and I couldn't just leave it."  
"I take it that has something to do with that thing you yanked out of our friend there?" Ren asked, offering his friend a hand which she gratefully accepted.  
"Yes." She replied as she got to her feet and eagerly thrust her Omni-Tool in front of him. "Look, this is all the information that was stored inside the geth just before shutdown."  
It took Ren a moment to process the significance of her words. "Wait...that was the memory banks you pulled out of there?"  
"Yes."  
"But I thought the geth-"  
"Wiped them when they died, yes, I know." Said Tali, not quite keeping the schoolteacher tone out of her voice. "That's why I hacked it first, I was hoping the AI would be too caught up in fighting the overwrite to properly purge itself."  
"So it worked?"  
"Not entirely. The memory core wipe is something that's almost instinctual for the geth and a small reserve of power is always put aside for it to work, even when the unit itself 'dies'. It's how they go on living, you know, when they transfer their programs to the nearest platform?"  
Ren nodded.  
"Well, the only reason it didn't activate instantly was because of the hacked code running through the system. Unfortunately the hack only lasts a few seconds before the code wears itself down anyway and part of the memory banks were erased before I could remove the unit."  
"But we still have something right? That's a lot more than anyone's ever recovered from a geth before."  
Tali nodded enthusiastically, her excitement barely contained. "Just let me see what we've got here. Hmm...not much to go on." She admitted, sounding disappointed. "Most of it's pretty basic, not a lot beyond the usual operational parameters and- wait a minute..."  
Ren bent over for a better look at the fragment she highlighted. "What are we looking at?"  
"There's nothing to_ see_," Tali replied, "it's a voice recording. Looks a little fragmented but I should be able to isolate..."  
Her Omni-Tool's speakers abruptly sprang to life and a deep, malevolent voice boomed throughout the cavern. "Eden Prime was a major victory!" It declared, heedless of the quarian's desire t remain hidden.  
Tali scrabbled frantically for the sound control, hastily bringing the man's speech down to little more than a hushed whisper. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."  
Tali and Ren shared a glance as the sound dropped away and then a second, far more beguiling voice took over. "And one step closer to the return of the reapers."  
The recording shut down almost immediately thereafter.

"Well..." said Ren eventually after they'd gotten over their initial surprise, "hellif I know what that was all about."  
Tali's brow knotted in concentration. "I didn't recognize either of the voices," she replied, "or what they were talking about. Eden Prime? Beacons and reapers?"  
Ren shrugged. "Eden Prime I think I've heard of somewhere, but I couldn't tell you what it is. The rest of it makes no more sense to me as it does you."  
Tali shook her head and quickly sped through the remainder of the recovered data, testily closing the Omni-Tool down with a dismissive wave of her hand a moment later. "There's nothing else here," she declared angrily, "no answers, no explanations, nothing. Just more mysteries." Dispirited she considered levering a swift kick into the geth's torso. Only the knowledge that the metal ribcage would do more damage to her foot than she'd ever inflict kept Tali from following through with the notion.  
"Hey c'mon," Ren encouraged with a gentle clap on the shoulder, "we're closer than ever now and I'm not having you give up on me this far in. There's only so many places they can hide from us and I promise you, we will find them."  
Vexed at her own performance, Tali spotted the sincerity in his gesture and sighed. "You're right. I'm not letting the geth stand between us and retribution." She snatched up her fallen combat knife and thrust it into the sheath on her leg with renewed purpose. "Let's go remind them how a quarian fights."  
Ren grinned behind his darkened visor. "Now you're writing my code."


	26. Chapter 26: Light Work

**Chapter 26 – Light Work  
**"Ren, are those pre-fabs?" Tali's question broke the silence the two had shared since recovering the strange recording from the fallen geth trooper. Further progression through the maze of icy tunnels had brought them to a far wider cavern than they had encountered before. They now stood just within the shadows of the tunnel leading into it, the string of LEDs that once lit their way having ended just a few yards ago. Fortunately the cavern ahead was well lit by a scattering of construction grade floodlights, their overlapping angles illuminating much of the space they would undoubtedly have to cross. The wide beams of light made both quarians uneasy. If they had to venture out there they'd be plainly visible and whilst a scattering of cover was available in the form of construction materials and cargo canisters, neither relished the idea of making themselves an easy target.

For now their attention was directed at the large structure set against the icy wall at the eastern side of the cavern, the plain pattern of its whitewashed walls broken only by the darkened glass of the windows. The upper room of the two-storey structure was illuminated through the glass by a faint orange glow but the outlines of light betrayed no hint of any occupants inside. The lack of guards did nothing to quell the growing sense of unease Ren and Tali shared. They'd finally found solid evidence that the caves were occupied by something other than geth and yet no one stood watch over the structure. As far as Tali was concerned, the whole thing stank like one of the _Rayya's_ coolant leaks.

"So, still got doubts if anyone's been bunkering up here?" Ren asked, a hint of playfulness in his tone.  
Tali snorted quietly. "The buildings look pretty fresh," she observed, "look at the walls. Hardly any wear marks on them at all."  
Ren studied them for a second and nodded. "Good eye, whether it's the geth or somebody else they can't have been here long."  
Before Tali could reply a sudden shift from behind the illuminated window caught their eye. Immediately the pair flattened themselves against the walls, hoping the shadows would be enough to conceal them. They both watched in silence as a dark form peeled away from the shadows within, its blurry outline moving left to right as it crossed the room and vanished from view.  
"You saw that too right?" Ren whispered, preventing Tali from asking exactly the same question.  
"Whatever it was, it wasn't geth."  
"First sign of organic life we've seen since landing then." Ren noted.  
The quarians shared a look of mutual eagerness.  
"What say we go get some answers out of it?"  
"Right behind you Lieutenant." Replied Tali.

Cautiously the two quarians prised themselves from the frozen wall and with Ren in the lead, took their first steps into the cavern. The Lieutenant made sure to keep them within the shadows for as long as possible, stepping into the pools of light only when absolutely necessary and sprinting through quickly even then. Tali stood to provide cover as Ren moved with catlike grace across the second floodlight's beam, his momentum broken only when he slammed into a pre-fab pillar that had yet to be used in construction, the clustered ice particles on his back marring the pristine surface. Waiting only to catch his breath Ren gestured for Tali to follow and with a final glance to make certain she was clear, the engineer mimicked his footsteps doggedly, coming to rest a few meters away behind a large stone boulder. Pleased that she had minded his directions to keep some space between them at all times Ren waited until she gave him a brief nod and then the duo swung out into the open, each assuming a firing angle that covered the other's rapid approach to the pre-fab structure.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

The faint whizzing sound caught their attention at exactly the same time and they both swung their guns to track where it came from. A flicker of movement in the corner of Tali's eye was all that greeted them and as she attempted to track that, another whizzing noise came from directly overhead. Hurriedly she adjusted again and then caught a glimpse of a creamy, elongated limb disappearing behind an icicle. Another whizz from the wall on her left was followed swiftly by a barely audible whirring and as Tali's eyes spotted the shimmering blue disc flying towards them, instincts the quarian didn't know she had took over. "Ambush!" She shrieked, diving for cover just as the world exploded in a brilliant haze of electrifying blue lightning.

The tech mine, designed to rupture kinetic barriers, had been perfectly timed and would have left the two quarians defenceless had Tali's initial warning not sent them both scrambling for cover. Their shields had suffered but the damage was significantly less than it could have been. The alarming whizzing filled the air now and it sparked a sensation of dread within her. Before her mind could begin imagining nightmare creatures Tali risked exposing herself to get a better look at their attackers. She was rewarded with a half-second's glimpse as one of the strange beings leapt clear across the cavern in a jump that seemed to defy the borders of possibility. The fact that it clung to the wall afterwards only added to her confusion until she spotted the telltale headlamp gazing down at her from the platform's high perch.

Whatever it was, the thing was clearly of geth origin, though its configuration didn't match anything she'd ever seen before. For the two seconds it remained still Tali's eyes took in every detail: the creamy skin tone that mimicked muscle tissue, the body that tapered in at the waist, the darkened steel of claw like fingers that dug handholds into the ice. It sprang away suddenly and she even made note of the way its limbs contracted like a spring before stretching to lengths that would shatter any organic bone structure as it propelled itself away. She moved back into cover before anything else hit her, mind reeling. _They're creating entirely new subtypes of geth._ She didn't know why it surprised her. She should have expected them to evolve, if that was the right word; it had been a topic of discussion within the fleet often enough.

"What the bloody hell are those things?" Ren roared from somewhere off to her left, his words jarring her back into the real world. Reserving the new discovery for later consideration Tali realised she wasn't exactly sure where Ren was or how many of the ambushers they were facing. If only to feel better about doing something she snapped off a shot that was easily avoided by the nimble platform she'd targeted and shouted back a response. "They're geth, that's good enough for me!"

* * *

As the sounds of battle raged throughout the cave a lone figure stood silently on the top floor of the pre-fabricated office suite, staring down from the reinforced plexi-glass window. From here it had an unprecedented view of the ambush. What was really a small handful of geth appeared far greater in number as flexible limbs propelled them across the room at blinding speeds, their unit's true configuration obscured in the seemingly chaotic display of acrobatics. The two quarian victims shed their initial disorientation quickly however, quicker than the being had anticipated. They split their positions to make harder targets of themselves, crates, stalagmites and forgotten bundles of pre-fab sheeting serving as their cover. The geth, detecting their prey's swift adaptation, pressed their initial advantage hard. A small number of constantly shifting platforms sprang about the cavern to draw their attention whilst a pair of ghosts quietly assumed positions on the far side of the cave.

Too late the naval Lieutenant spotted the ploy, his panicked burst of gunfire engulfed by the tech-mine explosion that overloaded his rifle's heat sinks. He at least retained the presence of mind to duck as he groped for another weapon, causing the follow-up sniper round to just graze his energy shields. When he next looked up, sabotaged rifle exchanged for a basic looking pistol, the two snipers had blended with the decoys, positions long since abandoned. The mysterious onlooker could almost hear the curse that was no doubt spilling from the quarian's lips. Its eyes flickered over to the second of the two intruders who had rightly ignored the two snipers and instead focused her efforts on thinning the number of decoys. The hopper units had that eventuality covered too, their movement patterns keeping fresh-shielded targets within range of the engineer to absorb the shotgun blasts whilst those with weakened barriers sprang to the dark nooks and crannies of the stalactite infested ceiling to regenerate.

The dark figure was starting to find itself disappointed with the performance thus far when suddenly there was a bright flash from one of the hoppers and its shield shattered. The stalker unit had but a second to contemplate this before a well placed sniper shot thumped into its central cavity and sent it crashing to the ground. The watcher could not deny the surprise it felt, the way its eyebrows raised with faint appreciation. The officer was a better shot than had been led to believe. The bright glow of an Omni-Tool caught his eye as the machinist worked to prepare another overload mine. A satisfied smile played on the being's lips. Apparently the two quarians were communicating after all and intended to make a fight of it. _Good. _

This still did not provide an answer to the question that had been plaguing the being since it had begun monitoring the progress of the two quarians however. Breaking off with a reluctant sigh, the dark form stepped away from the window, moving back into a sparsely decorated office that housed little more than a desk, terminal and a small safe on the back wall. The figure moved across the room, disregarding the racket outside, and sank into an executive chair, ignorant of the feel of the expensive imitation leather and the subtle shifting of supports to his back. A pair of fingers reached out and began to drum a stressful rhythm into the plush armrests of the seat.

Truly this was a complication that had not been foreseen. All the foresight in the galaxy could not have provided the means to anticipate the current situation. The figure's head began to shake slowly. Had this revelation change matters? Could an outcome that had been a certainty mere moments ago now be cast into doubt so suddenly? _No._ The parameters of the mission had not been altered; the willingness of his servants remained the same. No, the being knew exactly where the problem lay. Within itself. Its mouth moved upwards into something resembling a twisted smile. Ironic, the mixture of loathing and fondness the two intruders unwittingly brought with them. Its careful contemplation of the situation slowly began to lapse into memories of varying emotions, the warm tendrils of joy fighting for a place amongst the cold barbs of hatred that had encompassed its heart for so long.

* * *

Tali'Zorah felt rather than saw another red beam strobe her position and she was up and running instinctively. _Don't stop, don't fire back, just run._ Somewhere nearby Ren's rifle spat death in bursts and the warbling din of the geth horde echoed throughout the cavern and rang against her eardrums. A brilliant beam of concentrated energy sheared off the top of the pre-fab wall she'd been behind moments before, the destruction drawing a frightened backward glance from the machinist.

It proved to be a fatal mistake.

Tali's head snapped back around as her foot caught on something and she was face down on the ground before she knew it. Panting, she rolled over, searching desperately for her shotgun, torn free from her grasp in the fall. There it was, lying just a few metres beyond her grasp at the base of the pre-fab unit. She began to crawl desperately for it, hands and knees scrabbling furiously at the unrelenting ice. A telltale warping of the air from somewhere above drew her attention and she looked up to see the black chassis of a geth clinging to the wall directly above her prized shotgun. It cocked its head and shrieked menacingly at her, arms and legs spread-eagled. She reached for the pistol on her belt, drew it and fired wildly in its direction. The geth screeched and darted away again, bounding to a ceiling far above her, but not before a splatter of synthetic fluid decorated the wall behind it.

Tali used the precious few seconds to cross the remaining distance between her and the Storm III. She had almost reached it when an orange-rimmed disc struck the ground in front of her, the impact fracturing the icy surface and coating the shotgun's casing in instantly recognizable orange energy surges. An animal cry of terror and frustration ripped itself from her lungs and Tali snatched it up and flipped over, placing her back against the wall of the structure. In the midst of her fear one thought was clear. _One shot before the sabotage mine overheats it._ _Make it count._ Her eyes roved the walls, spotting the hopper that had hit her with the mine. It glowed with an eerie blue aura, the single artificial iris cold and calculating. Subconsciously aware that the geth could only have lingered so long because it had intent to finish her Tali brought up barrel of her shotgun and fired. The geth had been anticipating the response and dodged with blinding speed, hooking into the natural cleft a long melted ice pocket had left behind. What it hadn't prepared for was the speed with which the desperate Tali dropped the shotgun and raised her fully-functional pistol.

She unloaded, the full force of her fury exploding with every shot from the Kessler I. Many rounds went wide but far more slammed into their target, causing the synthetic to jerk reflexively with each thudding impact. The pistol began to shriek overheat warnings at her as Tali pulled the trigger again and again without result, unsure exactly what she was aiming at anymore. Abruptly the bullet-riddled hopper slipped limply from the walls without another sound. Fighting off tears Tali let her hands slump, the useless weapon lying dead in her lap.

It was then that the quarian looked up and saw the black outline of the hopper that she had wounded only moments ago staring down at her from a massive, ice coated stalactite. Tali froze as the reality sank in. _I've been played. _Sensing the moment of victory, the synthetic's headlamp began to glow an eerie red. A thin beam of light highlighted her heart as the platform took aim. The sheer power of the beam would tear through what was left of her kinetic barriers like they were never there. At least it would be quick.  
The geth's beam tightened, began to focus and as Tali breathed her last prayer, a dark maroon form suddenly filled her vision.  
"Ren!" She screamed.  
Heedless of her cries, the geth fired.

* * *

Abruptly the mysterious figure ceased tapping. It had recounted enough and it had ultimately made little difference. The decision it wrestled with had already been made long ago as part of the pre-arranged terms. The end result was inevitable, it's execution unstoppable. Unless it deviated from the course, changed the way the game was played. Of course that had never been an option, not before and certainly not now. Too much was at stake and victory was within tantalising reach. Months of careful planning, dangerous negotiating, cautious feeding of just the right amount of information...it would not, _could not_ be undone now by second thoughts borne of petty emotions.

The previously occupied fingers strayed to the being's forearm and an Omni-Tool flared into life, bathing the darkened room in an eerie glow that reflected off the polished surface of the desk before it. Commands so familiar they were almost second nature quickly linked the shadowy figure into the correct communications network. A single order was keyed in and the fingers moved to issue it, pausing as a last lingering sensation of regret struck. The chair's conflicted occupant stared beyond the Omni-Tool into nothingness, ears tuned solely to the chaos erupting around the pre-fab unit. The power of life and death remained a button press away. The feeling was...intoxicating. It had been far too long since it had made a choice of this magnitude. It inhaled deeply as if to savour the sensation. _Yes...Power_. The acclamation of which the ancestors had once perfected; if only they had been able to maintain their grasp upon it. There was a lesson there, the being knew, but it did not have time to reflect upon it.

The fighting outside began to reach a ferocious crescendo and mass-driven rounds struck the walls of the pre-fab office, making the flimsy metals reverberate with every impact. A query blipped into existence on its Omni-Tool. Numbers were thinning, orders were required. The figure frowned, rising from its seat to take a position at the window once more. It had delayed long enough. The button flared as it was depressed and the order was issued within a flash, every connected servant immediately informed of the master's bidding. The Omni-Tool extinguished itself, task complete. A pair of hands folded themselves at the small of the figure's back. Within seconds, a blood-chilling scream rang throughout the cavern. The figure's head dipped gently in silent tribute as the sniper round sang the death knell a split-second later.


	27. Chapter 27: Solitude

**Chapter 27 – Solitude  
**The deafening screech of the wall above her as the metal threatened to rupture under the impact of the geth's sniper round reverberated through Tali's head like the keening of a shipboard alarm. Gritting her teeth against the aural onslaught she quickly became aware of two things. First, the geth's perfectly aimed shot had gone wide. Second, a very heavy and very alive Ren'Gerrel nar Neema was laying spread across her thighs. Then, as the cries of protesting metal faded and she found she could think again, Tali spotted the flicker of movement from above. Still gripping the pistol that had seconds ago been in the throes of overheating she pulled the weapon up in conjunction with her eyes, determined the geth would not escape her. She got halfway through the motion when the weight pressing against her legs shifted as Ren rolled from his stomach onto his side, his broad back knocking Tali's hand away. Assault rifle locked in his grip, the naval officer looked skyward and quickly drilled the lingering synthetic with a spread of well placed shots.

It hadn't finished crashing to the ground with an artificial wail before Ren sprang to his feet and offered a hand to hoist Tali onto her own. "Up you come, you're not dead yet!"  
Tali took his hand gratefully, struggling to wrap her head around what had just transpired. The conflicting mess of adrenaline and panic running through her system was playing havoc with her thought processes. Ren unknowingly resolved the issue for her, pressing her familiar shotgun back into her grasp. "C'mon, there can't be many more of these things left!"

Presented with an objective the quarian rallied herself and nodded agreement as she clipped the pistol back onto her waist and followed Ren back into the fray before she thought too hard about it.  
His estimate hadn't been far wrong. The constant racket overhead that had first alerted them to the ambush had lessened significantly, with only the occasional tell-tale whirring indicating the rapid shifting of the geth platform's position. With fewer targets and a reduced amount of incoming fire the two quarians fought their way through the surviving synthetics slowly and carefully, picking their targets and making good use of tech-proximity mines. Before long the carcass of the last geth crunched into the icy surface of the cavern, the impact splintering the frozen water beneath. Blood still rushing hot through their veins the two quarians gradually advanced in synchronization, guns and eyes covering every darkened crevice that could hide another of the quick-moving death dealers.

The cavern remained eerily silent as they approached the base of the ramp leading up to the first floor of the pre-fab unit, the wide open doorway next to it allowing them to perform a cursory examination of the ground floor's interior. A scattering of basic appliances, work surfaces and uncomfortable, factory standard furniture were the room's only occupants.  
"I don't like this, something's off." Ren confided quietly, his rifle covering the top of the ramp.  
Beside him with her eyes scanning for any movement in the darkened interior of the living area, Tali nodded agreement. "That geth shouldn't have missed; it had me perfectly within its sights."  
Ren grunted accordingly, not wanting to point out he'd been talking about the pre-fab. Clearly his companion's mind still lingered on the near-death experience they'd both endured. He conceded that she had a point, the geth _shouldn't_ have missed and by rights he should be dead. Ren did his best to ignore the tremulous aftershock of fear that arose as he pictured the moment again. He couldn't say what had caused him to throw himself in front of his friend, but as the adrenaline surges began to ebb in the stillness of the cavern, he knew he wouldn't hesitate to repeat the action even now. Reflections of dark eyes tracked the ominous entrance to the first storey that awaited them, an innate sensation of danger lingering at the back of the quarian's mind.  
"I'll take point," he decided suddenly, "Back me up and watch for flankers."

His commands left no room for argument and together the pilgrims ascended, each subconsciously falling in step with the other as Ren slowed to allow Tali to carefully climb back-first, her awareness focused on the mass of rocky outcroppings behind them that could provide cover for any number of geth. Somehow she was managing the ascent silently, her nimble feet not even eliciting a scrape from the metal ramp. Ren paused at the top, his back against the frame of the narrow doorway, waiting as Tali stopped just below him, keeping her head under the lip of the window; either out of exceptional awareness or pure luck Ren wasn't sure. He inhaled deeply before keying open the door and pressed the stock of the rifle more firmly into his shoulder. The door lock rotated before splitting apart with a pressurized whoosh as Ren spun around the frame and took two steps into the room before everything exploded in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

Tali heard the explosion and saw the faint flicker of light in the corner of her eye as Ren passed inside. She whirled around and darted up the remainder of the ramp, nearly getting her foot shorn off as the door came slamming together just as she tried to race in. "Ren!" The scream was muffled under the dull ringing in her ears the explosion had sparked. Desperation consumed her and she thumped her shoulder against the unrelenting metal helplessly. The lock simply glowed a mocking red, ignorant of her efforts. Distraught the quarian cast her gaze about for a better solution and her vision immediately narrowed on the window. The shotgun came up instantly and the first round bit deeply into the plexi-glass, tiny fractures forming around each of the shrapnel shards. She fired again and the splinters grew larger, narrow fingers of webbing extending across the entire surface. A third shot brought the entire window down, the crystalline shards descending to crash against the rocky ground below in a glittering cloud.

The window was awkwardly placed, too high to get too from the ramp itself. Tali instead leapt onto the thin railing that ran along the inside of the walkway, leaning against the wall of the building for balance. As the glass shards settled she realised the ringing in her ears had died, replaced instead by a heavy scraping sound and the rhythmic clunking of heavy footsteps tinged with a metallic edge. They definitely belonged to geth, but it had to be a far larger platform than she had encountered before. Holding her weapon as best she could Tali edged along the thin railing as quickly as she dared, eventually getting close enough to the side of the window that she could lean in for a glimpse.

The first thing that grabbed her was the lack of devastation from the explosion, barring a rapidly thinning cloud of curling white smoke, the room was untouched. The second thing she noticed was the towering outlines of two massive, white-skinned geth dragging the limp form of a maroon-suited quarian through a door at the far side of the room. "Ren!" She immediately regretted the rash action, the cry causing the synthetics to spot her and stomp all the quicker through the doorway. Tossing all cares aside at the sight of her fallen friend Tali threw her leg up onto the lip of the window and hoisted herself into the room, the barren interior offering her precious little protection.

She raised her weapon, only to drop it again almost immediately. The range was too great and she stood as much chance of hitting Ren as she did the geth. The first of the synthetics was already stooping to get through the doorway, easily pulling the still quarian after it by his heels. The second geth turned to face her, its massive body filling much of the tunnel behind it. Tali recklessly charged for it, knowing the gesture was as suicidal as it was futile but still hoping to bring it within range of her sidearm. The geth raised its arm as she darted across the open room but unexpectedly, didn't shoot. Instead the artificial construct stepped back through the doorway and reached for a control panel on the opposite side. Tali shouted in desperation as the fragments of the steel plated door emerged from the walls and came together with a gentle hydraulic hiss. Tali skidded to a stop, heavy momentum bringing her within inches of the doorframe, and flipped open her Omni-Tool as the locking mechanism rotated into a sealed position.

Her best efforts were undone just as she gained a foothold in the security systems. A node fell to her frantic hacking and the surge of elation she felt was immediately snatched away by the abrupt darkening of the entire screen. Eyes widening in surprise Tali desperately tried to re-attempt her breach, only for the message 'Connection Terminated' to fill her blank Omni-screen. Casting a glance at the door in confusion Tali was greeted with the blazing red denial of the haptic controls. She understood immediately. Her connection had been severed because something had damaged the locking mechanism on the other side of the door. Vicious curses against the geth spewed from her lips as the quarian pounded on the unyielding door in desperation, fear for her friend overcoming her. "Dammit!" She shrieked aloud, glaring at the room behind her in search of anything that could be of use. A single chair sat behind a small desk that housed a single terminal, its darkened screen indicating that it was offline. On her right and mounted upon the wall was a single computerized safe that she quickly disabled the locks on and examined, finding a small stash of credits and a few extra tech mines tucked away inside; neither would help her get out of the room.

The only other option was a second door against the western wall that she hadn't spotted in her first attempts to get to Ren. Although the muted orange glow of the controls indicated that it was locked, its security could still be breached. Not wanting a repeat performance Tali darted across and rather than running hacking programs, simply spread a handful of Omni-Gel across the lock. Within seconds the notorious 'wonder goo' had worked its magic, stripping the security protocols away as if they'd never existed.

She hit the key immediately and flinched as the door opened to a blast of frigid air that whipped through the entryway and tugged at the fabric of her veil as it howled past her audio receptors. The stark artificial walls of the pre-fab became the increasingly familiar tunnels of ice and rock on the other side and Tali muttered under her breath as she stepped out. She could only hope that these passages weren't as diverse as the ones she and Ren had spent the better part of an hour traversing already. She simply couldn't afford to waste time trawling through countless side passages. Instead she hurried her way through as quickly as she dared, trigger finger ready to coil at a moment's notice.

As Tali made her way further into the warrens she recalled the strange form they had seen through the pre-fab window just before they trigged the ambush. _What did we agree back then? The outline was too organic to belong to a geth?_ She thought about how the mystery of it spurned them forwards, silently hinting at the possibility of answers. Had the action been planned? A cunning ploy to lure them into the open and thus into the remorseless sights of the geth? _What happened to you?_ The quarian demanded of the mysterious figure. _Did you retreat here with your geth? Are you lying in wait for me in these tunnels somewhere?_

Wherever the person was, it was clear to Tali that they were definitely working with the geth. The entire compound was too elaborately set up, the overbearing layout of the inner caverns too reminiscent of an organics' innate nature for one-upmanship. Geth would not have gone to these lengths normally, would never have built upon natural tunnels in the ice, then constructed pre-fabs inside with and furnished them with comforts common to organics such as chairs, safes and computer interface terminals.

The further she progressed into the passages the more certain Tali became. Everything they'd encountered since landing was just too erratically orchestrated, the strange behaviour of the geth at so many turns only hinted at darker forces behind the scenes. _Someone or something is designing the circuitry here_, Tali thought to herself, briefly aware of just how like Bardi she sounded using that old term. Then she pictured Ren in the clutches of the geth and forced herself to focus. _Can't_ _afford to get distracted, _the quarian warned herself,_ not now, not with his life on the line._ She could only hope that these endless twists and turns led somewhere and that whoever had managed to bend the geth to their will hadn't rigged any nasty surprises for her.

Luckily it seemed she hadn't been expected to penetrate this far into their adversary's lair. The tripmines and geth guardians that had plagued them in the outer network were conspicuously absent within this inner sanctum. In fact the only signs of habitation were the familiar string lights dangling from the ceiling and the occasional scratch in the ice or footprint in the snow. Tali was no tracker but something about the clearly artificial footprints led her to believe she was certainly working her way towards _something_ important. They were still fresh and largely un-worn by the elements, but not recent enough to have been made within the last hour. If she had to guess, going by the sheer volume of the tracks, their odd placement indicating a large number of units walking along multiple vectors, there was something down here that warranted a lot of attention from the geth, and that something had to be big.

It both encouraged her and put her on guard. Though the passages appeared deserted now there was next to no chance the geth would have left such a thing unguarded for long. There was still no guarantee this path would lead her to Ren either, but unable to see another option the lonely engineer pressed onward. As the minutes passed and the nondescript icy walls began to seem very familiar Tali finally glimpsed a faint glow up ahead. Slowing her pace and working to lessen the noise of her already gentle tread she worked her way closer, the metal panels and friendly green glow of the door giving her a brief surge of hope. It could simply be another empty room for all she knew, but at least it would be a break from the constant glare of reflections in the ice and perhaps even respite from the biting wind that seemed to chill her bones even through her enviro-suit.

Playing it as safe as she dared Tali approached the door in silence and, with an inkling of an idea beginning to form, noticed that the leftmost frame of the door wasn't quite flush with the ice. A small space of perhaps two feet remained, the dull metal sheet would easily mask her from view once the door split open she decided after quickly testing the theory. Hoping she wasn't about to do something very rash, Tali keyed the door and stepped aside, allowing the panels to separate and open the room up to a seemingly empty tunnel.

Her caution proved well founded as an immediate querying chirp sounded from within and the distinctive clatter of a readying weapon echoed off the ice around her. Artificially sure footsteps moved closer and closer, the chirp now replaced by a malicious, metallic clicking. Tali found herself holding her breath as the footsteps drew closer before coming to a stop on what she estimated to be the other side of the door. She wasn't sure if she was imagining hearing the soft flexing of synthetic neck muscles as a thin, barely detectable hue of white light alternately grew and faded as the geth presumably scanned the entryway. Tali forgot about breathing as instinct once again assumed control and she spun into the doorway, her faceplate inches from the startled geth's optical lens.

Her shot was immediate and the geth fell backwards with a warbling howl, the close quarters rending its kinetic barriers useless. The distinctive crashing of metal on metal echoed loudly as it hit the floor, the synthetic's CPU failing almost instantaneously. "Knock-knock." Tali muttered grimly, striding past the geth and examining the interior of the room. Nothing shot back and as she listened acutely for telltale signs of movement, only the gentle beeping of giant server units toyed with her ears. Casting her gaze about the banks of computer terminals and data cores that ran along the nearest wall the opened security ports immediately caught Tali's attention. A closer look quickly revealed that the geth hadn't logged out. _Now this is more like it!_ Grinning, Tali paused for one last cautious glance over the room before slipping the shotgun into place at the small of her back and flexing her fingers.

"Let's see what little secrets you've been harbouring shall we?"


	28. Chapter 28: Silent Observer

**Chapter 28 – Silent Observer  
**Tali's comprehensive experience with any number of different terminals aboard the _Rayya_ had bred an inherent familiarity with all kinds of system, be they ancient and decrepit or alien and state of the art. As such it didn't take her long to get to grips with the layout of the security hub and the engineer quickly lost herself in the comforting world of haptic interfaces and technical readouts.

It struck her as slightly odd that the terminal's displays had been configured to show quarian text and keyboard commands but in her haste to find Ren she didn't dwell on it too much. This was the geth after all, that they were using quarian script wasn't completely abnormal. As far as Tali was concerned, it only helped her identify programs and navigate the system all the quicker, her keen technical mind soon realising that she was operating a more advanced security terminal than she'd expected to encounter. Immediately she began hunting for security programs and subroutines that went beyond basic installation protocols. Readouts flashed before her eyes as she scrolled through the standard surveillance hub controls that she'd been anticipating. _Terminal lockouts, room containment procedures, server lockdowns – all a bit extravagant for a compound this size...Oh hello! _She flipped the interface back a window, taking a second to fully identify what she was seeing.

A map of the tunnel network filled the screen before her, a number of scattered red blips pulsing softly along some of the narrower corridors and tight turns. Tali ignored the blips for the moment, concentrating on the layout of the cave system. Even her untrained eyes could see it wasn't a comprehensive chart though it did look very familiar. The quarian stared at the mess of twists and turns, running though the passages again in her mind's eye. Some of it, the more prominent turnoffs and wider cavern-like spaces, jogged her memory. _Those were the first passages we worked though, _Tali realised, _right after we got past the geth guarding the dropships_. She blinked, looked again and the remaining tunnels suddenly came into focus confirming her guess. _So what are these strobe lights for then?_

She tapped one with her finger and a window sprouted, bringing into focus a grainy camera screen that appeared to be fixated on the ice-layered tunnel wall. Her efforts to rotate the view and widen the camera's angle proved fruitless and Tali was just about to close the window back down again when a small, dark blur towards the bottom of the picture caught her eye. Staring at it for a second, her eyes widened when she realised what it was. _Bosh'tet!_ It was the proximity mine she would've activated if Ren hadn't spotted it and stopped her. Closing the screen she keyed another one of the blips, locating the mine on the new camera much more swiftly this time now that she knew what she was looking for.

Tali shut the window down again, frustrated. That they had been toyed with from the moment they stepped inside the caves grated on her, but she had to admit whoever was behind this had put a lot of thought into it. Too much so for her to believe this was a simple smuggling base anymore. She turned off the map with an agitated flex of her finger. This wasn't helping her find Ren but at least she was getting into the custom programs now. It was progress, and at least the owners hadn't bothered to encrypt anything. Tali snorted knowingly. _Probably understood that the geth would tear through any security routines quicker than they could be installed. _Another screen came up, this one clearly labelled 'Security Cams', as though the screen-filling grainy footage wasn't enough of a giveaway. Now ready for the hidden cameras showing the corridors she'd worked her way through, Tali began rapidly flipping through the various screens. _Tunnel, ice wall, cavern, cavern with dead geth, stalagmite, pre-fab. _Clearly someone had been watching their fight with the deadly hopper units. Ignoring her rising anger, Tali kept going. _Pre-fab downstairs, pre-fab upstairs, locked door, tunnel, ice, ice, tunnel-_

Her finger froze above the arrow key. _Ren!  
_

* * *

__Ren'Gerrel nar Neema awoke with a pounding headache and dark spots in front of his eyes. He winced and closed them reflexively, the murky blotches immediately becoming circles of stark white tinged with yellow that stabbed viciously at his retina. He popped his eyelids open again with a groan, quickly deciding that the dark spots were the less painful of the two. He tried to reach a hand up to grip the top of his helmet and fend away the hot fires that flared in his head with every heartbeat, knowing the gesture would do nothing to relieve the pain anyway. He was only mildly surprised when his limb refused to respond, instead flopping back down onto a cold surface after managing to get only a few inches off what he assumed to be the ground. _Great. What'd you do to yourself _this_ time?_ He wondered, assuming the lack of response from his nervous system was a side-effect of his apparent concussion.

Blinking in a futile attempt to clear away the blemishes that afflicted his vision Ren cast his mind back through the haze. He remembered fighting a horde of geth, then approaching the pre-fab and ascending the ramp with Tali. It was when he'd stepped inside that piercing white light had assaulted his eyes and a wave of pressure had smashed into him, the impact making him stagger whilst a high-pitched ringing tore apart his hearing. He'd lasted perhaps two seconds under the influence of what he guessed had been a flash-bang before something very heavy had crashed against the base of his skull and plunged him into black silence.

He reached up to feel for the wound but his brow creased in confusion when his arm again refused to respond. This time the sensation was accompanied by a hard pressure against his wrist. Frowning, Ren attempted to reach across with his other hand and encountered the same issue. Gritting his teeth against the flashes of pain that accompanied the movement, Ren propped himself up on his elbows and glanced down. The sight of the heavyweight metal cuffs that anchored his forearms to the re-purposed patient's chair acted like a dose of cold water, instantly purging all traces of sluggishness from his mind.

Ren tugged violently at the manacles, unsurprised to feel his ankles refusing to budge as well. Neither of the cuffs yielded to his efforts and the Lieutenant cast his eyes about the room for another solution. His gaze fell upon the unmistakable figure of a monstrous geth standing only metres from his left shoulder which immediately quelled all hopes of escape. A dejected glance to his right confirmed the presence of another of the white-skinned giants mirroring the position and stance of its counterpart. Neither synthetic had so much as flinched at the organics' movements, standing as silent sentries against the pre-fab walls of the barren room. Hissing through gritted teeth, Ren sank back against the cool metal headrest. "Bollocks."

"I see clan Gerrel hasn't lost its cohesive grasp of profanity."  
Ren jerked upwards with a start at the voice behind him, the distinctly organic tinge filling him with a sudden flush of hope. "Who's there?" He demanded, trying and failing to glimpse the owner over his shoulder. "Have they captured you too?"  
A soft chuckle resounded throughout the room. The lack of objects within produced a slight echo, making it difficult for Ren to pinpoint or even get a good guess at how far away the speaker was. "Hardly," the other man replied, "I'm afraid the only captive here is you my friend."  
Ren paused as the implication sank in. "So you're the _Bosh'tet_ behind all this then." He said, the words more statement than question.  
"Very insightful." This time the voice was accompanied by a soft shuffling, as though someone was trying to get comfortable in their seat. "A pity your companion never made it this far, I should have liked to have seen her face."  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Exploded Ren, futilely straining at his bonds as sudden fury overcame him. "What have you done to her?"  
"She is no longer a concern of anyone's but the maggots." Replied the voice dismissively. "Your friend will never see the fleet again."  
Ren roared in rage and flung his head around wildly, trying desperately to catch even a glimpse of the cruelly dismissive mastermind. "You son of a bitch!" He shouted. "You're dead you hear me?"  
"Oh I think not." Chuckled the voice. "In fact-"

Abruptly one of the geth platforms warbled something and the man's words died on his lips.  
Straining his ears as his chest heaved from the efforts of his outburst, Ren could hear the faint tapping of an Omni-Tool's keys.  
"What do you mean?" The man demanded a moment later. "Why was I not informed sooner? Why haven't you sent someone after her?"  
The fire that burned in Ren's blood abruptly cooled. _What were they saying? Was Tali alive after all?  
_The geth responded and again Ren caught the sounds of the Omni-Tool. "How could you possibly have...Very well," the man cut himself off with a sigh, "you had best remain here then. On the off-chance that she finds this room the girl would be foolish to dare enter with a pair of primes standing guard."  
Drawing hope from the conversation, Ren decided to try and use the opportunity to provoke his captor. He sank back against the chair as casually as he could and spoke with a mocking laugh. "So much for the maggots' dinner plans. She's a lot smarter than you gave her credit for huh?"  
"Oh how little you realise."  
And just like that, the mysterious being robbed Ren of any advantage. "What the hell are you talking about?" He demanded, instantly on guard once more.  
"But of course, you wouldn't know would you?" Said the man, his mocking tone firmly in place again. "No matter. My quarrel is not with the girl."  
"She has a name." Ren growled, unsure why the man's refusal to use it grated on him so much.  
"One that will be forgotten when this day is done. Yours however, shall live on. I intend to make certain of that."  
"How considerate of you." The quarian muttered sarcastically.  
"Oh it's not you I do this for my friend."  
"Then who?"  
"Your father," was the menacing response, "Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema."  
"My father?" Ren said in surprise. "What does he have to do with this?"  
"Far more than you could possibly imagine." Replied the voice darkly.

Ren bit back his retort when he heard the sudden movement from behind, followed by the soft, purposeful footsteps that crept ever closer. Finally managing to pinpoint his captor's position as he drew nearer the Lieutenant looked to his left and was rewarded a moment later with his first glimpse of the enigmatic man. He felt as though the air had been punched from his lungs as he took in the sight of the familiar enviro-suit, the dull grey faceplate behind which a pair of dark eyes stared down at him. The pale grey tones of clan patterns he recognized but failed to recall the owners of were streaked across the fabric of a moody black veil. As he tried to take in the vision before him, only one thought passed through the quarian's mind. "You sick _nikkian_ _Bosh'tet_. Your own bloody kind?"  
His words seemed to strike a chord in the man, who tensed as the accusation hung in the air, hand tightening into a fist at his side. "Don't even think to lecture me on ethics Gerrel, I won't suffer it. Not from the likes of you."

Unseen behind his visor, Ren's eyes narrowed in thought. The more he looked at this man, the more convinced he became that he'd seen him before. It was difficult to pinpoint what it was at first and he had to concentrate to look beyond the basic traits inherent to his species and the suits they wore to try and identify it. The man was talking again but Ren ignored the words, focusing his full attention on whatever it was that was jogging his memory. Something was definitely familiar; he could feel it. Something about the colour tones and patterns of his veil and the strangely formal tones he used. Suddenly the man made a gesture with his hand and just like that it all clicked into place.  
"I know you." Declared Ren, cutting the quarian off mid-sentence and gaining a surprised look that handed him the advantage once more. "I remember you, aboard the _Neema_ about two years back. You were one of the diplomats."  
The man recovered quickly, stepping back and tucking his hands at the small of his back. He nodded for Ren to continue.  
"I remember your name."

* * *

Watching the entire scenario play out over the cameras Tali re-adjusted the speaker volume with a quivering hand, breath caught in her throat as she strained her ears to catch every word. The footage on the cams was grainy, the light was toying with the colours of the captor's veil, playing tricks with her memory. It _couldn't_ be him, she knew it couldn't.

"I remember you, aboard the _Neema_ about two years back." _There!_ She thought triumphantly._ It couldn't be him, he was never assigned to- _"You were one of the diplomats." Ren continued solemnly. The declaration seemed like a death sentence and Tali felt all hope within her die at the proclamation. "I remember your name." There was no more denying it and her hand reflexively slipped over her mouth as she whispered the words along with Ren in horror and disbelief. "Zeras. Zeras'Boa nar Gedda."


	29. Chapter 29: Revelations

**Chapter 29 - Revelations  
**"_Welcome to Neos." It wasn't the first time Zeras'Boa nar Gedda had heard a human speak but he felt the faint trill of surprise run through Maz'Koris nar Gedda's enviro-suit through their intertwined fingers. Azure reflections of questioning eyes looked up at him from behind her visor and he smiled reassuringly, dipping his head to gently touch his helmet's temple against her forehead. "Don't fret Mazzie, these humans agreed to let us begin our Va'Seras here if we help them expand their colony in return, they don't intend us any harm. Maz nodded but he could still see the doubt in her gaze. "Trust me, the human's aren't as prejudiced against us as the other races, they weren't around for the Morning War. Besides," he had added in an energetic tone, "we won't be here long. A few weeks perhaps, and we'll be off on our grand adventures across the galaxy."_

_She believed him, for a time at least and her trust was quickly rewarded when only days later Zeras became the unofficial spokesman for the small band of quarian pilgrims that had accompanied them to Neos; a development he had been expecting, given his background as an initiate diplomat for the Migrant Fleet. What he hadn't been expecting was the human's speedy evaluation of him and their forwardness in presenting him with a surprising request. If he agreed to function as an ambassador for the colony and work to establish relationships with the other settled planets and supply depots in nearby systems, the humans would provide him and Maz'Koris with better quarters and an actual wage. Tempted but unwilling to leave the rest of his people under the burdens of volunteer work Zeras informed the humans that he would only accept the offer if they began helping the other pilgrims off-world so that they could complete their respective quests. After some debate, the humans had agreed but the colony leader made a point of warning Zeras that he 'had better pull through'._

_Understanding that the power to enrich the lives of the other quarians lay solely with him, Zeras worked tirelessly to promote the colony's interests and establish the human's dominance over the star system. Meanwhile the humans proved true to their word and within a week the first of the dozen pilgrims had been successfully dropped off at one of the nearby trading hubs. _

_The various administrators and ruling governments of Neos' neighbours soon got over their initial surprise at the sudden influx of quarian's travelling from the agricultural world, though their hesitance at the sight of the quarian spokesman filling their vid-screens had lasted a little longer. Now working with aliens that knew of the quarian's background, Zeras made it a priority to break through the walls of racial prejudices as quickly as he could. The majority of his contacts had hastily abandoned their bigoted views after a few conferences as Zeras danced verbal circles around the other ambassadors, his game too advanced to be held back by simple species-ism. His trading offers and counter-agreements proved too beneficial for anyone to turn down and often his sheer charisma and ever-respectful attitude won Neos trading rights that would once have only ever been approved for same-species bartering. As time went on however and Zeras' silver tongued victories began to mount, he and Maz'Koris slowly became the final quarians remaining on planet. Mazzie had been desperate to leave for weeks, often bringing the subject up with her lover in his all too infrequent downtime. He was sharp with her at first, blinded by his own pride. Could she not see the work he was doing? How many lives he was changing for the better? In time she made him realise the truth, showed him how easily the humans were exploiting him for his talents. Angry with himself for becoming so short-sighted Zeras approached the humans with their request to leave, only to be informed that the colony's small fleet of shuttles and transports were either already out on missions or down for refitting._

_In response to the blatant lies Zeras began to formulate his own plans in secret and managed to negotiate a trade with an asari colony just a few systems away that massively benefitted the blue-skinned alien species. In return Zeras requested a single transport to be delivered to Neos for his own personal use along with a standard shipment of supplies for the colony. Within days, he and Maz quietly packed up their few belongings, banked their credits on private Omni-Tools and announced their imminent departure. Ignoring the protests of the humans the two quarians boarded the asari vessel, a very simple but functional private transport, and instructed the pilot to take them to the nearby asari trade world of Illium.  
_

* * *

The quarian captor inhaled deeply. _Zeras. Zeras'Boa nar Gedda. _A name he had not heard spoken aloud in many months, perhaps even years. The memories it conjured stirred a multitude of feelings that churned and roiled like a tempest inside. It was a name that had once belonged to him, a name that, like everything else, had been stolen from him. Hearing it again made the old wounds suddenly feel fresh a second time. "So you _do_ recall our meeting." He finally ventured. "I must confess, I had not expected you to."  
"I don't remember much of the details," Ren revealed, "but I know you were at the centre of it."  
The figure known as Zeras laughed bitterly. "At the centre? I _was_ the centre Gerrel." Suddenly his voice hardened. "I was the eye of the storm itself once and I will be again. Only this time, it won't be _my_ life that gets destroyed."

He stepped away abruptly, giving Ren a better look at the tattered and dirty state of his suit, the way the once tough fabrics had been worn thin by the constant exposure to the hostile environment. He saw too the tell-tale hunch of fatigue in the quarian's shoulders, the wispiness of his frame. Evidently he had been hiding in these caves for some time and that time had not hung well on him. Zeras seemed to be ignoring his presence for the moment, focused instead on the Omni-Tool mounted on his forearm. It was as he watched his adversary tap through the screens that Ren became aware of a subtle feeling in his gut, a building sensation that told him he should be distracting Zeras, stalling him from whatever he was up to; perhaps searching for Tali. _Tali!_ The thought struck him like a charging krogan. _She knew Zeras, they were friends! Keelah, we talked about this _Bosh'tet_ back on Omega! Bloody hell...how is she going to take this?_ Knowing he could do nothing to help his friend with the inevitable shock of the revelation, Ren decided he could at least buy her some time to hopefully get away. _With any luck, I might be able to finally get some answers at least.  
_"So what was it then?" He asked, making sure his words rang clear against the walls of the bare room. "What happened that drove you to this?"

* * *

_Illium. To say it was grand in comparison to the barebones human colony they had just abandoned_ _would have been an understatement worthy of the death penalty. Zeras knew he would never be able to forget the sights as their hired aircar took him and Maz'Koris from the spaceport to their destination. It had taken the two quarians long enough to adjust to the idea of living in buildings on Neos but after a few months of it, they had come to Illium believing that they knew what to expect. _How wrong we were._ Zeras mused. The prefabs within the colony had been cubic, modular structures all designed to look and feel the same; here the structures were styled so radically it was hard to know where to look. _

_Sleek, towering skyscrapers stretched upwards for clouds that shone in a brilliant orange sunset whilst sprawling offices and residential apartments seemed to meld into one another with subtle curves and smooth, sloping rooftops. Streams of traffic ran through the narrow avenues of the city's monolithic towers, each car glistening like a star every time it caught one of the setting sun's rays. As the darkness became more pronounced the sides of many buildings began to light up in a distracting display of neon energy and multitudes of brilliant, glaring advertisements drew their eyes at every new street corner._

_As the two quarians settled into an apartment they began to feel like they were living in a painting of unimaginable scale and complexity, tiny characters on a massive, sprawling canvas of unmatched beauty and splendour. The pleasant illusion lasted for some time. Zeras found work as a high-profile data analyst and the pair's money began to swiftly accumulate. This only improved as Zeras' shrewd nature and guarded tongue soon brought him to the attention of his employers. Quickly finding himself raised up in station after a re-evaluation of his skills Zeras began handling data of a much more sensitive and questionable nature. It was then, as he found himself beginning to traverse the darker depths below Illium's glossy surface, that some of the city's glossy shine wore thin and Zeras began to understand the planet's charm was only hull-deep. Here, in the hidden backrooms of private board meetings and the secret cloisters of R&D labs, dark secrets were created and harboured by powerful individuals, dangerous men and women who communicated using ciphers and encrypted lines. In addition to jarring him back into reality's cold embrace, Zeras'Boa found that this new world intrigued him._

_Mazzie disapproved of his new interests at first, questioning the legalities and ethics of his actions but Zeras' silver tongue persuaded her easily enough. "It's a golden opportunity Maz, just consider what we can do for the Fleet here! With my rate of success it won't be long before they give me a few agents of my own to go digging up secrets with. Finding a Pilgrimage gift will be easy after that, the only difficulty will be deciding what to give!" He had been right and the employers had granted him control of a small handful of analysts less than a month later, though he understood their roles to be far more than what their titles implied._

_Enjoying his newfound power but mindful of his main goal Zeras kept his eyes open for any sudden opportunities for him and Maz to bring their Va'Seras' to an end; as time passed however he steadily became further and further engrossed in expanding his small sphere of influence, work which came at the expense of his Pilgrimage. Mazzie began to grow frustrated and distant, often out 'enjoying the sights' when he returned from his long hours at the office. Zeras initially thought little of it, the silence of their apartment granting him the space he needed to work through the constant streams of information that he had missed since leaving his workstation. He knew, staring at his lover's empty bed, that in time a suitable Pilgrimage gift would present itself and they would be able to return home on the same shuttle the asari colony had provided them. There, his newly discovered talents would give him a massive advantage over the other trainees of the Diplomatic Corp._

_Only days later one of Zeras' agents had forwarded him an intercepted missive from a scout ship belonging to a powerful mining corporation. The captain of the ship spoke of a rare find: an eezo rich planet lying untouched in one of the outer systems. Such a resource would be priceless to anyone and even more so for the resource-strapped quarian fleets. Still, Zeras hesitated to act upon the news, unwilling to abandon his newfound power. Eventually the notion of becoming a powerful leader within the Migrant Fleet, perhaps even a member of the conclave, had ultimately won him over. Purging all records of the find from the system Zeras waited a few days to prevent suspicion before forwarding reports of his find to the quarian fleet, recommending that a mining fleet be dispatched immediately to secure the minerals. He then informed his employers that he was leaving Illium due to a family emergency that could not wait. He and Mazzie, who had been overjoyed at the news that they were returning to the fleet, left that same day, setting a course to rendezvous with the requested mining teams._

_Upon arrival at the agreed-upon coordinates, just a few jumps from the eezo-rich planet, Zeras and Maz were requested to dock with the _Neema_, a heavy cruiser forming the backbone of the convoy's escort group. Admiral Han'Gerrel himself greeted them warmly, along with his son and a number of other high-ranking officers. He explained that the data had come at a critical time for the waning reserves of the flotilla's fuel supply and revealed an offer to have them join the crew of the _Neema_ in return for their gift. Han'Gerrel was turned down first by Zeras, who specified his wish to return to the _Gedda_ for the furthering of his diplomatic training, and then by Maz'Koris, who explained that the gift was Zeras', not hers. Acknowledging the distinction Gerrel then questioned what she had to offer the fleet as Zeras realised he had neglected to provide Mazzie with a suitable contribution himself, having been caught up in the excitement, and suddenly felt a cold flush of fear._

_Maz'Koris paused only to shoot him a resentful glare before turning to the Admiral and announcing her desire to join the crew of the _Neema_ if her gift was deemed suitable. She then revealed documents and schematics for a new type of toxicity regulator developed by the salarians that could easily be adapted for quarian use. Recognizing the value her offering held for the entire fleet, Han'Gerrel readily welcomed her as the newest crewmember of the _Neema_. He then extended the offer of transport back to the _Gedda_ for Zeras once the convoy arrived in-system and mining operations began. Caught off guard by Mazzie's actions, Zeras was still processing the implications when their conference was cut short by a communiqué from the bridge._

_It had been in that moment that his world had crumbled._

"_The minerals are here Sir, but they've already been claimed." He still remembered the words, the way they had cut into him like razor-keen shards of ice, freezing his hopes and shattering his dreams into a thousand particles. When Han'Gerrel questioned the officer it transpired that a mining corporation, the very one Zeras had intercepted and hidden the original missive from, had already established itself planetside and was hard at work recovering the valuable minerals. From the extent of their operation, the officer guessed they had been in place for some weeks and judging by their warning messages, they were not happy to see the arrival of a quarian scavenger fleet. Han'Gerrel remained stock still and silent for close to a minute before ordering the convoy to turn around and head back to the Migrant Fleet. When he rounded on Zeras, even the shrewd diplomat could not have anticipated the extent of his judgement._

"_Zeras'Boa nar Gedda. You have violated the sacred trust of the Migrant Fleet and provoked a monumental waste of time and resources, resources which I need not remind you are in increasingly short supply! As it is you are still a pilgrim and therefore your actions are still those of a child. With that in mind permanent exile would be too harsh a punishment and frankly, I wouldn't waste a ship on you." Han'Gerrel tucked his hands behind his back, straightening his posture before pronouncing sentence on the still-reeling quarian. "Zeras'Boa nar Gedda you are sentenced to an extended Pilgrimage for a minimum of five years. You will retain your clanname and birth ship and your involvement with this fiasco today will be stricken from the record providing an appropriate offering is presented to the ship of your choice upon your return from Va'Seras. Five years from now, the Fleet may embrace you as man and brother. Until that time has passed..." Gerrel paused to control his rising anger, "you are not welcome aboard my ship."  
_

* * *

"Do you hear me?" Ren tried again after his captor failed to respond. "What happened that was so terrible you started killing your own people?"  
The challenge jarred Zeras out of his reverie. Wordlessly he severed the Omni-Tool's connection that linked him with the remaining geth forces and turned back to face the young upstart. Looking into the defiant eyes there felt like being in front of the Admiral's furious gaze once again, only this time the position of arbiter was his. Channelling the rage that had engulfed him for the past two years, Zeras took a threatening step forward to challenge his nemesis' son. "You think I killed them?" He hissed. "You think that blood is on my hands? I may have ordered the attack on the _Tarmeena_ but the blame for those deaths rests on your father's head, not mine."  
"There you go again," spat Ren, "what could my father possibly have done that warranted the deaths of all those aboard that ship? For Keelah's sake we weren't even adults yet!"

Zeras moved so quickly he almost leapt at the shackled Lieutenant, leaning in so close that Ren could sense the burning wrath that pulsated from him with every breath. "That _nikkian Bosh'tet_ exiled me, condemned me to a life alone without _any_ authorization! He didn't even do me the justice of getting the other Admirals involved, simply pronounced sentence and warned me to get off his ship before he changed his mind and dumped me out of the nearest airlock!" Zeras pushed himself away from the chair mid-rant, pivoting to put his back to Ren once more. "I didn't have time to question him before I ended up adrift, watching the _Neema_ and the rest of the convoy move out of the system." Mazzie's face drifted before his eyes suddenly and Zeras' countenance hardened. He turned again, lifting an accusing finger at his prey. "He stole everything from me, _everything! _All on an impulse and a whim, no accounting for procedure or law!" The quarian abruptly broke into a mirthless laugh. "But that's what your father is all about isn't it? Rash actions and hot-headed behaviour?"

The question floated through the barren room and lingered above the heads of the two quarians and their silent sentinels. Ren sensed it was a bad time to offer an argument and he was too busy trying to piece together the truth of his adversary's disjointed ravings to form one.  
Finally Zeras, his voice noticeably calmer, spoke again. "I swore then I'd have justice for all the wrong Han'Gerrel did to me, that no matter how long it took I'd make him feel every facet of the same pain he caused me."  
"And that's where I come in." Said Ren in a deadened tone as gradual realisation sank in.  
"Indeed. When I learnt that the son who was so much like his father, a boy with his own illustrious military career before him, was due to begin his own Va'Seras, well...you could say I was provided the perfect opportunity."  
"So I'm the cause of all this," Ren'Gerrel whispered as though he hadn't heard him, "I'm the reason all those kids on the _Tarmeena_ died. I'm the reason Nira and all the mercenaries you hired to kill us are dead. Keelah...even," He struggled to get the words out amidst his dawning horror, "even Torr..."  
"Yes." Replied Zeras, clearly deriving a sick pleasure from his captive's despondency. "Those poor young pilgrims aboard the ship and all the dead you left on Omega. It all falls upon you and your father and once I remove you from the equation, only Han'Gerrel will be left to answer for it."

Ren let the words swirl around his thoughts, powerless to do anything else. He felt physically sick, as though he'd been punched in the pit of his stomach so hard that every last pain he'd felt over the past three weeks had struck him all at once. _Keelah what kind of madman is this guy? _He wondered_. Pull yourself together soldier! _An inner voice commanded suddenly, shattering the morbid blackness that threatened to seep into every fibre of his being. _It isn't over yet, you're still in this! _Tali's_ still in this, buy her some time_! Ren didn't understand what he was buying time for exactly but he seized the instinct like a lifeline, refusing to allow his consciousness to be dragged down into the maw of shock that was trying to engulf him. He willed himself to open his mouth, to breathe words into existence. "Everything you've done," he began, the subtle shifting of blame back to Zeras strengthening his resolve, "can't have been cheap. And the geth," Ren realised, honing in on a question that still hadn't been answered, "how did you find them, convince them to work with you? I never thought they'd take orders from an organic again."

* * *

_Zeras'Boa's departure from the _Neema_ passed by him in a daze and even now he could not recall the details, only the dead stares of the stalwart Admiral and his one-time lover Mazzie as he retreated from the Admiral's chamber in silence. He surmised he must have activated the auto piloting systems aboard the shuttle because the next thing he remembered was being halfway back to the nav-log' s last known destination, Illium. It was as he collected his shattered thoughts and the anger began to flare in his soul that Zeras realised he'd been set up. Somehow the data his agent had recovered on Illium had been weeks old before he had even glimpsed it. There was no way the mining corporation would have had time to set up an operation of that magnitude otherwise, especially so after he'd destroyed all traces of the original scout report._

_Arriving back on the asari world dejected, humiliated and above all furious, Zeras had no sooner paid the docking fee and re-claimed his old apartment before drinking himself into blissful oblivion at the nearest bar. He woke up the next day with the worst headache imaginable and it was only after the incessant pounding had ebbed away that he decided he would not waste his anger again, nor give in to petty urges. Instead he would cultivate his rage and stoke its embers until the perfect moment for his revenge arose. He began his crusade the next day, stepping back into his old position with his shadowy employers without much difficulty. The ease with which they accepted his re-appearance only alerted Zeras to the suspicion they now viewed him with. He read the situation perfectly, knowing this his sudden departure and return was questionable at best; they undoubtedly knew he had been off-planet and that he was no longer with Maz'Koris. Zeras gave them as little as possible to work with from thereon, easing himself back into their good graces with steady, reliable performance and intelligence deals from his ever expanding circle of informants._

_Time went on but Zeras never forgot his goal of finding out who had been responsible for the Han'Gerrel fiasco. As the number of agents under his control increased and he began to feel the careful eye of his employers turn to more questionable members of the organisation Zeras quietly assigned a handful of operatives to look into the false intel he'd been fed. Months later, he received an update from one of them. The report had been legitimate, as Zeras had suspected, but the captain of the scout vessel it originated from had been exchanging encrypted comms with a small frontier mapping company only days before it had been issued. Further investigation revealed that the charting company was a front, albeit a very good one. It took the agent the better part of another four months to discover the puppet master behind it but Zeras was patient, knowing that the obstacles were only temporary._

_The quarian's surprise at the eventual revelation was almost non-existent. He'd long since pondered the many possibilities and being informed that the evidence pointed back to another information broker only clarified many other small details he'd unearthed recently. The agent's report meant that he now knew exactly where to look, making it easy for him to narrow down potential suspects until finally, Zeras came up with a name. Reena Y'lonu, an experienced asari broker about whom there was little real data, save that she worked for the very same people Zeras'Boa drew his paycheck from. Light suddenly dawned then and a little more digging had told him everything he'd needed to know. The asari had worked for the company for a number of years and despite her expertise, had been continually passed up for promotion. Her resentment had only increased when the company had hired a 'suit-rat', within weeks giving him clearance that exceeded her own. Some investigating of the quarian culture and the suit-rat himself had given her the inspiration to provide him with an opportunity too good to pass up in the hopes that with him out of the picture, the asari would no longer be left to rot on the corporate ladder. It had worked like a charm, her machinations drawing the attention of her employers and earning her a near-immediate promotion. The quarian's return a few days later had barely dampened her spirits as she solidified her new position above him._

_Reena didn't keep a close enough eye on her stooge however and within weeks of Zeras unearthing her identity she became immortalized in a small extranet article: 'Prominent Corporate Employee Found Dead in Gift Store'. Isolating and breaching her workstation on the network the night before her execution Zeras quietly helped himself to her private files and erased all copies of the more interesting ones. Amongst the clear evidence of her schemes to cause the quarian's downfall Zeras found that the asari had recently been contacted by a prospective buyer who wanted to purchase information leading to the acquisition of Prothean artifacts. Reena had, after some investigation of the client, found that he was surrounded by many shadowy rumours, many of which pointed to him having the synthetic geth at his disposal. Like most of the other brokers the client had been in contact with the asari had deemed him too much of a dangerous wildcard and had been in the process of issuing a firm but cordial refusal. Zeras however, dismissive of the clearly uneducated claims that an organic could command the long isolated geth, smelt opportunity._

_Assuming the asari's mantle Zeras reached out to the client and brokered a beneficial deal that saw his private accounts begin to fill with steady and substantial credit deposits each time he passed on Prothean related data. Capitalising on the chance to develop a source of income away from his employer's prying eyes, Zeras kept a small batch of agents working constantly to monitor any and all traffic concerning the ancient race's legacy. In the meantime, his thirst for revenge only partially sated by the death of his rival, Zeras decided that above all he desired to see Han'Gerrel brought to his knees in front of the fleet just as he himself had been. To that end he invested a large amount of his own credits into acquiring an agent within the Migrant Fleet who agreed to provide constant if sporadic updates on the Gerrel family until an opportunity presented itself. News that the Admiral's much favoured son was soon to begin his Va'Seras proved to be all the excuse he needed. When his initial attempt to have the boy killed by attacking his transport failed Zeras immediately assigned one of his agents on Omega with locating and eliminating the quarian, though the man was given strict orders that his body was to be preserved if possible._

_With one eye continually monitoring Ren'Gerrel's status on Omega Zeras found himself distracted with a new report from his Prothean operatives: the Alliance had discovered something big on Eden Prime. Tentative contact with the client resulted in a much bigger payment than usual, along with a stern order that he be informed the moment more details surfaced. Zeras agreed whilst simultaneously assigning another agent to look into his mysterious benefactor, suddenly getting the vaguest sensation of being in over his head. Reports from the human agent on Omega reached him not long after and they indicated that Gerrel's son was more adept than expected, having managed to not only discover the type and source of the missiles used during the _Tarmeena_ attack but also survive the carefully orchestrated ambush within the warehouse district. It was also evident that he was not the only survivor of the attack on the transport; the presence of a second quarian had been confirmed. Both perturbed at his prey's progress and empowered by the prospect of a fight Zeras decided it was time to begin devising backup plans._

_Details of the human find on Eden Prime surfaced around the same time; apparently the newest of the space faring races had discovered an ancient Prothean beacon that could be the key to opening up a whole new realm of knowledge. Zeras again contacted the client who he had recently discovered to be a shadowy turian figure who did indeed command the loyalty of the geth. Teasing the information provoked a massive sum of credits from the client in exchange for all of the details, almost enough to consider retiring on, but Zeras had other plans. He demanded that he be provided with some geth of his own to command, a request to which the client had, after some persuasion, begrudgingly agreed. Agreeing to transfer the Eden Prime data once the geth had arrived at the requested coordinates Zeras immediately enacted the next stage of his plan. Acutely aware that the time for his vengeance had come, Zeras moved to commit everything to his sinister goal. The one time diplomat abandoned his information network and fled to the Regatta Nebula to meet the geth in orbit above the frozen planet of Olsav. Upon arrival Zeras immediately re-claimed the abandoned smuggling base that one of his agents had previously used and as agreed, transmitted the Eden Prime data to the turian._

_His initial amazement at seeing the geth's re-found subservience for himself was cut short by news from Omega; Gerrel's son was close to discovering his agent. Having already accepted the possibility Zeras instructed the agent to remove the boy's allies and made it clear that the subsequent payment would be substantial. Knowing the outcome would likely only delay the determined boy Zeras deliberately placed a poor encryption on the communication channel, ensuring that if one looked hard enough, the conversation could be traced to Olsav. The quarian then turned his attention to outfitting the long-dormant base with strategically placed mines and setting geth patrols to monitor the tunnels whilst ordering the geth ships to take up position above the planet, hidden away on the dark side of the moon. Able to communicate with the synthetics via a specially-provided Omni-Tool, Zeras instructed them to only show themselves if anyone was detected approaching the planet. They were not to engage but act as bait, by returning to the surface and highlighting his lair, Zeras hoped to draw his prey in for a more personal confrontation. Privately he was glad to have seen the back of the geth ships, the strange orbs they carried aboard didn't match up with any of his studies on the artificial race and he was almost certain that the near reverent postures the geth occasionally took up with them were not conventional behaviour. The odd, incessant whispering that had been plaguing him for the last few weeks had seemed louder whenever he was near them too, but that annoyance fortunately disappeared once the geth dropships achieved orbit._

_When Ren'Gerrel eventually arrived in system Zeras monitored every facet of the quarian's movements, from their jump into the system through to their arrival within the cave systems. He watched closely how cautious his opponent was to advance, how he utilized the terrain to both draw out and pick off the geth; it all allowed Zeras to build up an image of the boy, revealing that he wasn't as headstrong as his father. Though this made his job more difficult, privately Zeras relished the challenge. Here, now, with the culmination of his plots and schemes finally upon him, he felt energized. This is what he had waited almost two years for. The only lingering problem was the presence of the second quarian who was doing an admirable job of keeping himself hidden on the approach to Zeras' stronghold. Frustrated with catching only glimpses of this mysterious ally of Gerrel's Zeras gave the order that neither quarian was to be killed; wounded, if such a non-lethal shot could be achieved, but not killed. He knew his geth would sustain heavy losses as a result but he cared little for the synthetics survival. His hope was that by making it easier for the advancing quarians, he might finally get his first proper look at both Ren'Gerrel and his partner. For all his scheming, Zeras had not been prepared for the shockwaves of disbelief that ran through him the second he saw the familiar lilac swirls set against a royal purple veil._

Tali'Zorah. Here._ He didn't believe it fully until he saw her putting combat-based tech powers to work against the geth; her frightening speed and inherent familiarity with the synthetic's weaknesses could were evidence enough. It put the ex-diplomat in a difficult position: could he really condemn Gerrel's companion now, knowing that she was as much his friend as Ren'Gerrel's? He wrestled with the decision for some time, grappling with himself until the pair had arrived at the main cavern and fell victim to the hopper ambush only metres away from his own position. It was then that Zeras realised he could debate her survival no longer, if he was to successfully capture Ren'Gerrel then his ally, regardless of who she was, _had_ to die._

_Ordering her death was...difficult. Hearing the scream of his one time friend abruptly silenced only moments later saddened him, briefly, but Zeras ultimately set aside his misgivings over the deed, turning his focus back to the task at hand. He retreated further into the catacombs and issued a final order to the two geth primes under his command. Ren'Gerrel was alone, now was the time. Only moments after their departure, confirmation of the quarian's capture filled his Omni-Screen.  
_

* * *

"The geth," Zeras answered slowly, "are more complex than we give them credit for and far simpler than we realise. All you need to know is that they are part of the bargain I made to bring you here, to place you at my mercy."  
Sensing that the conversation was beginning to enter dangerous territory once again, Ren tried a second time. "It doesn't disgust you?" He said, unable to hide his distaste for the man. "Working with the very things that condemned us to live like nomads? The same brutes that are polluting Rannoch itself?"  
"The geth are doing what they were made to do, serve the master. What do I care that they killed millions of our long dead ancestors? We did much the same."  
"You make me sick." Ren seethed.  
"No more so than your father makes me. But I think it's time to remedy that particular sickness, don't you?" He gestured at one of the primes which stepped forward to place a compact pistol in the quarian's outstretched hand.  
Ren's eyes found themselves rooted on the weapon as it switched into firing mode, every movement and fluctuation of the components indicating one thing: death.  
Zeras held up the gun and eyed it critically, flexing his fingers to find a comfortable grip before gently flicking the safety off. Slowly, almost painfully so, he brought the barrel to bear on his captive's forehead.  
"Anything you'd like to say before I ensure justice is served?"  
Swallowing hard, Ren ignored the wave of emotions that clamoured for his attention and simply glared at the other man. "You know something, I'm starting to understand why they exiled a prick like you."  
Zeras almost smiled. "I'll be sure to make it quick."  
It was at that moment the doors slid open.


	30. Chapter 30: Family

**Chapter 30 - Family  
**Tali'Zorah nar Rayya may have been taken aback by the revelation that her childhood friend was the same man that had been trying to kill them for the last few weeks, but she wasn't about to let it keep her from getting Ren'Gerrel out of there alive.

She shrank the video feed of the interrogation but kept the audio streaming as she began her search to pinpoint Ren's location. Tali pulled up every schematic she could find of the old ice tunnels, committing to memory every minute detail of the sparse blueprints and hazy camera feeds. Occasionally she flipped back to the video from Ren's chamber, either because the conversation was growing heated, or to get a better look at the room's dimensions. Whilst Zeras'Boa admitted that he hadn't expected his prey to recognize him, Tali was busy studying the breadth of the walls and angles of the corners. Getting a good idea of the room's measurements Tali jumped back to the schematics and started scanning for chambers that matched.

_At least Zeras doesn't know where I am, she thought to herself, and he doesn't seem to want to send geth looking for me. At least, not the primes. But why? What's so special about them? Is he just running thin on units and how did he even get control over them anyway? Nobody's done that since the Morning War, and a quarian? It doesn't make sense. And thinking about this isn't getting me anywhere, concentrate on getting Ren out first, answers can come later. Just watch your back, even if he is low on geth it can't be long before Zeras sends _something_ out looking for me._

Suddenly she found it. The small science lab seemed to leap out at her from the screen and as she flicked back and forth from the blueprints to the live feed, Tali knew without a doubt that this was what she was looking for. Getting the system to highlight both it and the room she was in on the schematics, Tali began plotting out a route. It was slow going as she cycled through video feed of as many of the rooms and corridors as she could, marking down geth positions she wanted to avoid and finding a different way around. All the while Zeras and Ren's voices rang in her ears. Ren seemed to be pumping Zeras for information, though his questions were often met with disjointed and vague answers. His captor meanwhile seemed to be growing more and more violent, his intentions becoming increasingly evident in every declaration. It was as he rounded on Ren'Gerrel once more and began spewing curses at her friend's father that Tali started to realise the friend she once knew no longer existed.

Matching up the final paths through the cavern network Tali copied the data to her Omni-Tool and also set the terminal to link the audio from the interrogation room to her left aural filter, leaving her right ear free to listen for geth patrols as she advanced. After another glance at Zeras and Ren on the camera, Tali moved away from the terminal, deliberately leaving herself logged in. At least if the terminal was closed down after she left, she'd know someone or something was tracking her. A few tweaks to her Omni-Tool and Tali had the route she'd planned mapped out on the interior of her helmet's HUD, visualized on a small holographic display just above her right eyebrow and slightly offset. A quick glance up was all she needed to begin and as she stepped through the first doorway, Tali focused her attention on the road ahead.

It was as she was slipping through an adjacent room past the third geth sentry platform that Tali noticed the conversation she was eavesdropping on seemed to be taking a darker tone. Her attention split between sprinting as silently as she could in a bent-over run to reach the far doorway and trying to avoid alerting the geth in the next passage, Tali could only manage to hear snatches of the exchange. "When I learnt that the son...due to begin his own Va'Seras...perfect opportunity." She made it, breathing hard as she pressed her back against the doorframe and replenished the air in her lungs as quietly as she could. Only a few more tunnels and rooms remained before she reached Ren, whose voice seemed to have suddenly lost all fire. "So I'm the cause of all this, I'm the reason all those kids on the _Tarmeena_ died. I'm the reason Nira and all the mercenaries you hired to kill us are dead. Keelah...even, even Torr..."  
_No you're not!_ Thought Tali.  
"Yes." Declared Zeras triumphantly. "Those poor young pilgrims aboard the ship and all the dead you left on Omega. It all falls upon you and your father and once I remove you from the equation, only Han'Gerrel will be left to answer for it."  
Furious with her one-time friend for toying with Ren so cruelly, Tali felt a rising desire to punch something, hard. _Harness that instinct,_ she told herself, _control it, not the other way around._ Visions of her and Ren talking in the alley behind Torr's house came to the forefront of her mind again. _Ren's advice back then was solid, now let's use that to get him out of this mess._

Making it through the last few corridors without incident Tali slowed her pace as the door leading to the interrogation room loomed up ahead. The audio feed revealed that Ren had Zeras engaged in an argument about the geth and Tali decided to use the next few moments to prepare herself for what she was about to do. She'd been thinking the whole time she'd been traversing the maze, trying to work out a reliable plan to get herself and Ren out of the room alive, and ideally with Zeras taken out too. After a few schemes that she rejected as being either too risky or too elaborate, Tali finally hit upon something that seemed to cover as many of the hull leaks as she was likely to manage.

Before going through the door the machinist paused to suck in a tense breath through her air-filters, her hand snaking around her back to brush against her stowed shotgun reassuringly. _Keelah I hope you know what you're doing Tali._ The quarian told herself, trying to ignore the tight knot in her stomach as she hit the control panel. It split apart smoothly and as soon as she glimpsed the scene within, Tali was grateful she hadn't waited any longer. Zeras stood directly in front of her, his left side facing the door and a pistol in his outstretched arm. The weapon was pointed at Ren'Gerrel, who was seated in exactly the same position as Tali had last seen him in. His head turned in surprise at the disturbance while Zeras spun to bring his gun to bear on the newcomer. Tali didn't miss the way his surprise registered in the subconscious relaxation of his muscles as he took in who was walking steadily towards him, hands held high in a gesture of surrender. She moved swiftly to press her advantage, daring another few steps before Zeras suddenly tensed back into a firing position.

"That's close enough Tali'Zorah!"  
The command brought her to a halt immediately, feet scuffing gently against the crusty surface of the worn pre-fab floor. "Easy Zeras, I just want to talk."  
The quarian diplomat said nothing, only gesturing with his free hand. In perfect synchronisation the two geth primes standing guard over Ren'Gerrel moved for the first time in so long that the captive had almost forgotten they were there. The massive platforms stepped towards the intruder, powerful weapons held comfortably at the hip.  
"There's no need to bring the geth into this," Tali ventured, refusing to let the show of force put her off, "I didn't come here to start a fight."  
"Then what _are_ you here for?" Zeras demanded, his voice taut and words clipped.  
"That's it?" Tali replied quietly. "All those years together and that's the first thing you say to me?"  
"Cut the act Tali. You're smart enough to have found us, you're smart enough to have worked out what's going on. Don't pretend that you expect warm words and a friendly embrace from a man who's been trying to kill you."  
The woman lowered her head slightly and spoke bitterly. "Maybe you're right, I guess I _was_ aiming a little high to hope to see some remorse in you."  
"Tali," Ren spoke in a low tone, eyeing the two geth platforms warily, "you need to get out of here."  
"Save the nobility act Gerrel," Tali snapped back in response, "this isn't about you anymore."  
Seeing her friend visibly flinch at her words sent a pang of guilt through Tali but she forced herself to ignore it. _I can't afford to get distracted, not now._

Zeras watched the exchange with what she imagined must have been an upraised eyebrow, the pistol still trained on her torso but a little more loosely by now. "Division in the ranks is it? A little out of character for you, isn't it Tali?"  
The engineer turned her attention back to her adversary, now flanked by his geth allies. "You're not the only one who's changed Zeras, and it's amazing what you'll do to survive when a ship brother is trying to kill you with his own private geth army."  
"So it's survival that brings you here? Tell me then, why would I be inclined to let you go, especially now that you've put yourself at my mercy?"  
"Originally I was going to go with old time's sake but considering the warm reception, I think I might get further with Plan B." Tali replied, doing her best to keep the heavy sarcasm and resentful tone present.  
"Which is?" Zeras pressed. His initial surprise at having his moment interrupted had worn thin and now Tali could almost see him analysing every possible outcome of the situation; it wouldn't be long before he mapped them all out and began working the conversation along his own lines. Controlling the exchange was something she could not permit him to do.  
"You want him dead," she nodded at the restrained Ren, "and you want his family to know about it. You can do the first part easily enough, but how long is it going to take clan Gerrel to learn that their favourite son died in a frozen cave on some barren rock no-one's ever heard of?"  
"I have my ways," said Zeras dismissively, "they'll learn soon enough."  
"And they could learn a lot quicker too. You let me go and I head straight back to the Flotilla with the news. Han'Gerrel and his clan feel the same pain you do, and because I brought back the tidings, I get to re-join the fleet." Tali shrugged her shoulder lightly. "Getting to keep my suit from being punctured with a mass round wouldn't be so bad either."

"You'd really do that?" Ren sounded so pained at her betrayal that it very nearly shattered Tali's resolve then and there. "And to think I trusted you, you little bitch."  
_Forgive me._ Tali wanted desperately to scream the words, but strength she didn't know she had kept her teeth clamped shut.  
"And what happens when you get back to the fleet unharmed with his body in tow?" Zeras demanded, ignoring Ren completely. "You don't think they'll question you? How did you get Ren out of there? Didn't you kill Zeras'Boa while you were at it? Maybe they'll even think you did it."  
Tearing her eyes away from Ren, Tali returned her attention to Zeras and forced herself to go on. "Han'Gerrel knows I've got nothing against his son and he's smart enough to remember your name, smart enough to know you could pull this kind of thing off. He'll never even consider that I've done it, especially when I tell him the truth about everything that led us here, right up until the part where Ren went in first into the cave full of mercenaries and I barely managed to drag out what remained of his body and get off-world before they did the same to me."  
Ren shook his head in silent disbelief but offered no argument, appearing to accept that his fate was inevitable.  
Zeras meanwhile remained perfectly still as he thought over Tali's hastily constructed plan. "Hiding a lie in the truth then? The best way to make someone believe."  
Tali smirked, forcing the bitter amusement into her voice. "Something I learned from a certain diplomat a long time ago."  
Zeras shook his head and lowered the gun, taking a step back as he did so. "It's not a bad plan Tali but it's just not worth me taking the risk of letting you steal my vengeance so late in the game."  
"What?" Tali didn't have to fake the sudden panic.  
"Kill her," Zeras gestured to the geth, "but make it painless."  
"Zeras no! Don't do this!" Tali's pleas went unhindered as the two geth stepped forwards, weapons charging with conduits of pulsing blue energy.  
Desperately racking her head for a stalling tactic, Tali took a hesitant step back and it was at that moment that the countdown timer on her HUD ticked over to zero.

_Keelah was _that_ overdue!_ Tali jubilantly hit the hidden sensors in the palm of her hands and instantly a pair of Omni-Tools sprang up on both of her still upraised forearms. Zeras, who had just holstered his weapon, managed to get out a cry of surprise just before the simultaneous AI hacks corrupted the prime's neural network. Plasma weapons still charged, the two geth abruptly stopped in their tracks, hesitated for a half-second that to Tali seemed to go on forever, and then as one made a quarter turn and opened fire on each other. The prime to Tali's right, its damage dealing systems boosted by the heavily customized Omni-Tool she'd received from Bardi'Reska, tore through the shields of its opponent in one shot. The second prime proved to be slightly less adept as a result of being subjected to Tali's old, civilian-grade Omni-Tool, but still managed to cause some severe damage to its counterpart. Shouting in fury Zeras frantically opened up his geth-linked Omni-Tool and tried desperately to issue commands to the two units. His efforts proved futile when a second later the more powerful of the two primes obliterated its weaker foe. Momentarily at a loss for targets, the weakened geth prime suddenly became aware of Zeras' frantic commands as the hack's effect faded away and it was in the process of turning to fire upon Tali when its entire photoreceptor was ripped off by the furious spread of the engineer's Storm III. It collapsed to the ground with a heavy clunk that shook the very bones in Zeras'Boa's feet. Suddenly very much aware that he was without protection, the quarian looked up to see a very satisfied Tali'Zorah standing on the other side of the geth corpses, smoking shotgun gripped in both hands. She couldn't keep the smugness from her tone anymore than she could keep the satisfied grin off her face. "Looks like they're down for maintenance Zeras."

The quarian bolted. Tali barely managed to get off a shot before she was forced to duck away from the wild burst of pistol fire that Zeras used to cover his retreat. She thought she saw his shields flare slightly from her own round but the impact didn't even stagger him and a few of the more accurate return shots made her own barriers flare a heartbeat later. Tali risked a quick glance around the column she'd ended up behind and spotted Zeras fleeing through the door on the opposite side of the room. She sank back as the last few mass rounds flew past and harmlessly hit the wall behind her. Though irritated that he'd managed to elude her, Tali couldn't deny that her scheme had worked better than she'd hoped. The sound of the door whooshing shut behind her adversary was enough for Tali to step out and sprint over to Ren who had been pressing himself as far against the chair as he could to try and shrink away from the gunfire.

"Don't stop for me, go get that Bosh'tet!"  
"I'm not leaving you here for the geth to pick apart," Tali said, "besides, I'm going to need the backup." Tossing the shotgun onto a nearby workbench the engineer fired up a nearby terminal and quickly began hacking her way in.  
Biting back his own burning desire to see Zeras pay for all the pain he'd caused, Ren had to concede that Tali had a point. "You're right," he admitted, "sorry."  
She paused mid-security breach to glance over her shoulder. "You alright?"  
Ren shook his head, doing his best to ignore his anger. "I'm fine, just. That dramatic entrance thing though? Don't make it a habit will you? I don't think what's left of my nerves could take it."  
"And here I was thinking you were enjoying keeping him talking." Tali threw back, grateful that he was still able to make light of the situation.  
"He does like to waffle doesn't he?"  
"He's a diplomat," Tali replied, "or was. It's kinda their job. Honestly though I was hoping to keep him going a bit more before he started to see through my little act. Guess I wasn't as convincing as I thought."  
"Convincing?" Echoed Ren. "Hell you almost had _me_ going for a bit there. Y'know what, I take it back. You aren't just a gutsy lass, you're a bloody _audacious_ gutsy lass."  
"Runs in the family."  
"Sorry if calling you a bitch was a bit over the line."  
"It helped convince him at least." Tali said dismissively as the manacles came loose with a barely audible metallic whoosh. She turned away from the console, folding her arms as Ren swung his legs over the side of the chair and pushed himself off and back on to his feet. "Bosh'tet."  
Ren rolled his head, massaging the stiff muscles there. "You can stop acting now y'know."  
"And you can get a move on," Tali declared, pulling Ren's rifle off a nearby table and throwing it towards him, "we've got a pyjak to catch."


	31. Chapter 31: The Hunted

**Chapter 31 - The Hunted  
**Deep within the caverns a lone geth trooper stood watch outside one of the many doorways, its bright photoreceptor filling the narrow darkness with an eerie glow. It had been standing motionless for hours and its synthetic muscles felt no ache, its monocular gaze as chronic as ever. It could feel the presence of over a dozen nearby platforms bolstering its thought processes, freeing up algorithms for higher functions. Their effectiveness was limited by the number of platforms they had lost against the Creator intruders, which the local collective agreed had been too many. If the Creator Zeras'Boa failed in his objective and the geth were again called upon, it was no longer certain that the synthetic's numbers would be sufficient. The two prime units that were currently standing guard with the Creator abruptly broadcast an alert that the second intruder had entered their range. Elimination was anticipated to take place within 27.792 seconds. Exactly 27.267 seconds later, the programs within the prime units fell silent. The geth trooper immediately felt its own intelligence degrade in response to the shrinking of the neural network, finding fewer geth with which to distribute processing power.

Seconds passed before one of the primes logged back into the network, but its presence was again taken away 1.791 seconds later. The programs within the trooper platform waited, but it did not surface again. As the moments passed the remainder of the geth began to debate their next course of action when two outside communications pinged the neural network at almost exactly the same time. The first was from the Creator, another command for the units to rally with him. The second was transmitted on a much higher security level, a classified stream of binary data that was decoded within seconds by the collective. The message was received, opened, comprehended and transmitted to all local platforms within the same amount of time that an organic's Omni-Tool would have taken to alert its user. The only delay, so miniscule it barely registered, was to erase the unnecessary organic wording and pull out the key phrases. _Eden Prime taken. Colony obliterated. Beacon retrieved. Nazara demands total unit recall. Quarian expendable. Coordinates 12875.42694.79586. _The geth trooper immediately began marching for the nearest exit, simultaneously plotting a course through the ice tunnels that allowed it to enter formation with the rest of the evacuating units. It also quickly closed itself out of the quarian's proxy connection, severing the Creator Zeras'Boa's ability to communicate with the remaining geth. His last command would go unheeded.

* * *

Tali'Zorah and Ren'Gerrel wasted no time in abandoning Zeras' impromptu interrogation chamber but when they entered the cave tunnels again, their quarry appeared to be long gone.  
"Damn he moves fast." Ren remarked, cautiously examining the corridor before speaking to make sure they weren't under any immediate threat.  
"Not many places he can go though," Tali said with a wave of her hand, "I've got the base schematics right here and this tunnel only leads one way."  
Ren eyed her Omni-Tool appreciatively. "Nice job, how'd you find those?"  
"I managed to make my way to a security terminal after the geth captured you, made it a lot easier to find out where you were being kept."  
"The geth didn't find you?" Asked Ren, gesturing for Tali to follow him as they began tracking their prey.  
"The primes left as soon as they had you...I tried to go after you but-"  
"Don't," warned Ren, "I already know you did the best you could. And you got me out of there eventually, that's what counts."  
Tali nodded, feeling as though a subtle weight had been taken off her shoulders. "Well, anyway, I don't think Zeras realised I was still alive until it was too late."  
"That's right, he didn't." Said Ren, recalling his captor's surprise, "I think the geth forgot to mention that part to him. Speaking of, you got any idea if we're going to run in to any platforms in here?""I'm not sure," Tali admitted, "I've got records of their positions before I left the security hub but I don't know if they'll still be accurate by now."  
"Then its eyes and ears from here on out, make sure you keep that shotgun of yours ready."  
"Always." Tali replied.

* * *

Ren estimated that a tense ten minutes has passed before either of them spoke again.  
"Geth up ahead." Tali warned quietly, off to one side in a crouch to cover her friend's blind side as the Lieutenant pressed his back against the corner wall and risked a peek at the next corridor.  
"I don't see it."  
Tali, her vision limited in order to remain out of sight, re-consulted her Omni-Tool. "I've got one on record, maybe it's moved."  
Ren tried another glance and met with the same result. "Any side rooms, passages?"  
She examined the schematics. "Nothing."  
"And Zeras can't have taken another route?"  
"Only to that dead-end storeroom we looked in."  
"Then he's probably ordered whatever geth were here to follow him, and any others left across the base besides."  
"That could make things difficult." Tali observed.  
"Maybe not as much as you think, I got the impression he didn't have that many units left by the time he got hold of me."  
"You're probably right," said Tali after a moment's thought, "I don't think there could have been more than a dozen geth left within the compound when I was on the terminal."  
"Then he should be running scared, let's hope it makes him slip up."

* * *

"I just _had_ to go and say it didn't I?" Observed Ren glumly. He eyed the door in front of him bitterly, shaking his head at the blown out controls. Apparently Zeras was still thinking one step ahead after all.  
Despite the severity of the situation, Tali couldn't resist the tease. "Well look on the bright side, it can't get any worse can it?"  
"Oh nice, well done. Make it two for two why don't you?"  
"Oh calm down and keep me covered will you? This should only take a minute." Tali gently pushed him aside and knelt at the panel, prising the cover off to expose the mess of tangled and melted wiring inside. "Hmm...maybe two."  
Ren rolled his eyes and turned to monitor the opposite door they had entered through just a few moments ago. "No offense Tali, but I'm going to enjoy introducing this _Bosh'tet_ to my rifle by the time we're done."  
A soft scuffling began behind him as Tali started fighting with the ruined circuitry. "After what he tried to blame you for back there you might have to beat me to it."  
Ren's head turned with surprise. "You heard him?"  
Tali made an affirmative hum. "That security terminal I hacked? I managed to patch into the audio-visual feeds from the room. I had to break visual when I abandoned it to find you but I kept the sound running."  
"Then you know why he did this. How I've nearly gotten you killed more times than I ca-"  
"Oh no you don't." Declared Tali, breaking her work to raise a warning finger at him. "You don't get to talk me out of a guilt trip then run off on your own private pity cruise."  
The lighter nature of her tone helped lift his own spirits which had been melancholy since his interrogation. Subconsciously wanting to get away from the lingering dark mood, Ren found himself pushing further. "I just...after everything that happened because of me..."  
"You're kidding, right? Are you really going to make me go through how nobody's deaths could have been anticipated or stopped, and how the only reason I'm still alive is because of you?"  
The smirk that had been playing at the corners of his mouth couldn't be denied any longer. "I suppose we _have_ had that conversation before haven't we?"  
"Only last time _you_ were the one giving out the advice. You ever thought about following it yourself for a change?"  
"It had crossed my mind." Ren admitted, suppressing a chuckle at the irritated huff from his companion. "You know something Tali, you might make a good leader yourself one day."  
"Suuure," she replied sarcastically, "now do me a favour and hold these wires out of the way will you?"

* * *

Five minutes later the door split open with a reluctant groan, the fried servos only lasting long enough to create a half-meter gap before grinding to a halt. The two quarians eyed the one-man space warily.  
"Ladies first."  
"It was always guns before beauty back on my ship Lieutenant."  
"Your Captain never learnt not to get in a woman's way when there's a job to be done?"  
"My Captain got tired of women having to do all the work." Tali threw back.  
"Ouch." Ren replied in a wounded tone. "That's me properly chastened then." So saying he stepped into the breach, having to turn himself sideways in order to squeeze through. "Right, we're clear, c'mon through."  
Tali did so and the two progressed further up the corridor with Tali's Omni-Tool guiding the way. Ren set a blistering pace that his shorter companion found difficult to keep up but she managed it without complaint, pride making her exhale each laboured breath as silently as possible. All the same, she was grateful for the sudden break as Ren drew to a halt a half-mile further along.  
"Still no geth." The engineer managed, struggling to control the heavy rise and fall of her chest.  
"But we do have another problem." Ren replied, gesturing to an obstacle further ahead.  
Tali glanced around him to see that the tunnel ahead forked off into two separate directions. She frowned. "I'll see what the schematics say."  
While Tali brought up her Omni-Tool once more, Ren moved ahead to examine the two routes. He pressed a good ten feet into either one but failed to spot any sign of disturbances caused by Zeras' passing. As he doubled back to the fork after examining the second passage, Tali came up to join him, body language alluding to her puzzlement.

"You don't look too confident."  
"Is it that obvious?" Replied Tali with no small amount of frustration. "There's no way to tell which route he took, I can tell you where each path leads but as for which direction he might have gone..." She shrugged, then re-thought her words a moment later. "I might be able to find him on the cameras if I double back to the security room but..." She didn't need to finish the thought; they both knew their quarry would be even further ahead by then.  
"I think there's an easier way," decided Ren, "those schematics show which way leads to the surface?"  
Tali ran through the two routes as quickly as she could. "The right pass should take us there, why?"  
"Zeras has got no reason to stick around now, he might want me dead but I don't think he's the type to manage it unless he holds all the cards. He's smart enough to know that too, my guess is he's making a break for the ships, might be thinking to leave us stranded here."  
Tali couldn't fault the logic, Ren's estimate matched Zeras' normal behaviour perfectly. "That's Zeras' style," she agreed, following her partner's lead, "I just hope he forgets about our shuttle back across the plains."  
"And what do you think the odds of that happening are?"  
"Nil." Muttered Tali with a sigh.  
"Then we'd better find him before he gets to those dropship's guns." Muttered Ren grimly. "C'mon, double time."

* * *

Panting, Zeras'Boa nar Gedda burst free of the oppressive tunnels, throwing up an arm to block the stabbing glare of daylight as he emerged into the outside world. Hazy grey shades came into view as he blinked away the harsh sting of the stark landscape. _The geth!_ As he'd suspected, the synthetics were still on-planet, though from the looks of things they weren't planning on being so for much longer. Small bands of geth troopers and a pair of shock units were in the process of ascending the boarding ramps into the holds of the waiting dropships. The desperate quarian staggered across the snow, shouting for attention from his vassals. They appeared not to hear him, his words snatched away by the frigid winds. Zeras shouted again, his cry cut short as he misjudged his footing and stumbled forward, barely getting his arms out in time to cut short his sudden descent. Now on his knees, Zeras scrabbled frantically at the controls of his Omni-Tool only to be informed yet again that his connection to the geth had been severed remotely. Furious, he dismissed the device with a sharp wave of his hand. "Stop!" He commanded, raising his voice as high as he could over the winds. They heard him, he felt it, but the synthetic traitors didn't so much as pause.

Spitting curses on the turian who'd undoubtedly caused this, Zeras began to get back up to his feet. There was no way he could fight Ren'Gerrel and Tali'Zorah both, but he still had the executive ship he'd stolen from the asari. All he had to do was disable the duo's ship and get off-planet himself. They'd survive a few weeks on the meagre rations he still had left in the hideout, if they were lucky and not even Tali's technical expertise could rig up a long-range communicator with the interference from inside those mountains. Even he had had to use the geth ships as impromptu boosters. Starvation wasn't the death he'd envisioned for the son of Han'Gerrel but Zeras bitterly conceded that he had little choice in the matter now. _The objective was Ren's death,_ he comforted himself, _you'll come up with an appropriate way to claim credit later._

Rising to his feet and beginning to move toward his own waiting vessel, Zeras took one more hate-filled glance at the nearest synthetic dropship. It was then that he froze in his tracks, suddenly unable or unwilling to move. There in the midst of the hold, its presence previously hidden behind the now-harnessed geth units, was one of the familiar white orbs that he'd seen so many times aboard those ships. It was a sight he'd become accustomed to and, after some initial curiosity, had always dismissed. Now though Zeras stared, somehow finding it difficult to look away. Had it always appeared to pulse with that indescribable white hue? An ethereal colour that seemed to purify everything it touched; Zeras couldn't understand how he'd not noticed it before. It seemed to be speaking to him, calling him with gentle, soothing whispers at the edge of his hearing that were spoken in a language so beautiful he hardly dared to make a sound for fear of interrupting them. A part of him remembered hearing the whispers before and being grateful when they ceased after the dropships moved off-world; Zeras knew better now, the whispers were clearer, more pure. They had never meant him harm. Tentatively, the quarian took a step closer to the majestic orb.

It was then that the dropship's boarding ramp began to rise out of the snow, scattered flakes dislodging and falling from the lip as it began to seal. In a panic Zeras surged forward, instinctually grasping what was about to happen and desperate to make sure it didn't. He ploughed through the snow, moving with single-minded purpose as the ramp rose ever higher. He was metres away when it sealed with an atmospheric hiss and he flung himself against the plating with a feral cry, beating his fists on the unyielding metal. His eyes had dulled the moment the hatch had risen to block his view of the orb and now even the alluring whispers began to fade away into silence. Horrible, lifeless silence that felt like the very antithesis of the whisper's glory, it threatened to fill his soul with darkness and fear. His pounding slowly stopped, and the exile sank piteously to his knees in the snow, faceplate inches from the defiant ramp's underside.

A swirling maelstrom of emotions began to rage within Zeras'Boa, desires to break down and weep disconsolately faced off against a need to gnash his teeth and strike out in blind rage. In the midst of this some higher part of his brain was screaming at him, perilously trying to warn him that his behaviour wasn't normal, that something was terribly wrong. Zeras seized upon the logical thought, trying desperately to regain control of his faltering emotions. The whispers had done something to him, he understood that much at least, but his mind was struggling to decide whether they had damaged or healed him. Instinct told him that contact with the whispers had allowed him to glimpse a higher form of life far more advanced and majestic than anything else in this galaxy, a life form that he _had_ to see more of, a being he yearned to converse with and comprehend. Then the logical mind fought back, telling him that the whispers should never have been there, that they had been trying to assert some kind of control over him that he should be rejecting.

A gentle hum began to reverberate in the air around him and for a moment Zeras' heart leapt whilst his head cried out in terror, each believing that the whispers had returned. But no, this was much more artificial and he could feel the energy running through his body. Strange blue light seemed to fill the edges of his vision at the same time, and the sensation of heat filled his body. His dulled mind made the connection a moment later. The dropships were igniting their engines, preparing for an ascent into the stars. Strangely, Zeras didn't feel panic. At least, not the way he knew he should have done. The part of him he still recognized as Zeras'Boa nar Gedda was mentally screaming in panic, commanding that he pick himself up and move away before the dropships began to lift off. His other self, the one who was trying to decide if it was ascending to a higher consciousness or not, seemed content to remain, filled with a strange confidence that everything would be alright if he just remained where he was. The voice of self-preservation had joined his logical self however, and together the two voices were slowly winning out. Slowly, Zeras fought for control of his limbs again, drawing himself out of the snow and back into a standing position. As if startled at his attempts his other self surged against his rational mind and the two entities met with such force that Zeras froze in place again, physically unable to move. He knew he had to step away from the ships, and he knew that the further away from the orb he got, the easier it would be to regain control of his body.

With supreme effort Zeras managed to turn himself around, putting the dropships at his back and the caverns once more to his front. He almost blacked out from the exertion, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut to ward off the pain. He opened his eyes again when he realised that closing them only filled his head with more visions of the orb. He stepped forward reluctantly, aware that the humming had risen to a dangerous thrum and his kinetic barriers had long since overloaded. A full five seconds passed before he managed to put another foot forward, sweat dripping down his brow though whether from effort or the heat he couldn't tell. As the fight for his mind continued Zeras was sure of only one thing. He wasn't moving fast enough. One more step was all he could manage before he felt it. Scorching heat lapped at his exposed back as the air filled with a thunderous roar and pain filled every fibre of his being. The fabric of his envirosuit melted to his flesh mere milliseconds before the engine backwash reduced the two to blackened ash. Understanding it had lost, his true self mercifully gave up and Zeras' second consciousness joined with the flames, overwhelming him with the conflicting sensations of eternal peace and scorching pain.

Collapsing to the ground as he burned alive, one final thought plucked itself from deep within the recesses of Zeras'Boa's soul.

_I'm sorry._


	32. Chapter 32: Talaria

**Chapter 32 – Talaria  
**"I don't like it. Too bloody quiet."  
Tali had to agree with Ren's observation. They stood together in the shelter of the cave mouth, buried as far into the shadows as they could manage as they looked out over the sheltered plain. Tali'Zorah eyed the open ground critically, remembering all too keenly the harrowing trial she'd first undergone just to reach this position. _And now here we are wanting to go right back out there._ She shook her head mirthlessly. _At least the dropships aren't there this time._ In fact, neither quarian was exactly sure where the geth were at all. With no sign of them in the tunnels and their ships conspicuously absent, each wanted to believe they had fled. Unfortunately, they both knew better. Zeras was nothing if not tricky and abandoning a fight was not something they had never seen the geth do, mainly because the geth hadn't even come close to losing a battle in centuries. Discovering where they might be hiding was the awkward part; only a few scattered crates, rock clusters and seemingly abandoned power couplings broke up the uniform smoothness of the snowy surface and while Tali wasn't confident enough to claim it aloud, she was fairly certain she'd hidden behind a few of them herself to get here. It didn't look like they'd been moved since.

Frustrated with the lack of results from her eyes, Tali changed tactics and opened her Omni-Tool, quickly fine-tuning the settings to perform an in depth scan of the local area. Setting it to locate and highlight power sources she knew it was a slim chance at best to hope the geth didn't have countermeasures against that kind of thing and as her eyes again ran across the open terrain outside, Tali suddenly had visions of geth units rising up out of the very snow itself, flakes falling from their metallic chassis' as they broke free of their submerged positions. Shaking off the disturbing image the engineer turned her attention back to her scan, focusing on the numbers so acutely that when Ren spoke, she had to suppress a physical shudder.

"There, about halfway between us and the cliff face." He made a minute gesture with his hand, pointing out a small, dark lump laying amidst the snow a few dozen metres to their west. It took Tali a moment to see what he was referring to, the black form half-buried under the persistent snowfall. "I can't tell if it's a geth or not." She admitted, blinking her strained eyes heavily to bring them back into focus. Wordlessly Ren pulled out his recently acquired sniper rifle and sighted down it as Tali read the results of her scan. Unsurprisingly the Omni-Tool hadn't found any traces of geth presence. Somehow she wasn't encouraged by the results.  
"It's not geth," decided Ren eventually, "but that's about all I can tell you. Can't make it out for certain."  
"It could be a lure." Tali ventured.  
"Yeah, and we know how fond Zeras is of those." Ren replied darkly. "Still, we can't afford to sit here wondering all day; if Zeras and the geth have already left then we're going to be lucky to get back to the ship before they do." He got to his feet with purpose, doing his best to hide his reluctance. The Lieutenant was well aware that once he took one step out of the cave he wouldn't stand a prayer against any geth lying in wait.  
"Is your shroud still working?" Tali asked, eyes falling on the back-mounted unit as Ren stepped in front of her.  
"Died a while back, it's not going to do me much good without a couple of hours charge."  
Knowing it was fruitless, Tali spoke anyway. "Let me go first, you've got the longer range guns if anything happens."  
"And I'm the only one who still has their overcloak." Ren retaliated.  
"And you can't take that off?" Tali contended, briefly wondering if her argument was more out of jealousy than concern for her friend. Just thinking about the ever-present chill that seemed to haunt her body made her want to rub her hands across her forearms and hope the friction of the suit against her skin would generate some heat. Clenching her teeth she resisted the urge, determined not to appear weak.  
"Sorry," he replied with a firm shake of his head," I do have _some_ nobility y'know. It's not gonna look good if I go home admitting that I sent you out into the jaws of death alone."  
"That didn't stop you when we needed to get in rather than out." Tali countered.  
"Yeah well, I wasn't really expecting to make it in to watch your back." Ren admitted quietly. His head dipped a little and Tali very nearly apologised before his chin suddenly snapped back up, an unmistakable determination inflecting his voice and resonating in his eyes. "There's no time to argue anymore, you stay here and the minute something rears its head out there, you warn me about it. Understood?"  
Tali nodded, switching her shotgun out for the longer ranged Kessler I pistol. "Just...be careful Ren."  
Her friend returned the nod grimly. Settling the Avenger III sniper back into place on his back, the officer drew the Lancer IV in its place. Its familiar weight in his hands offered him a small measure of comfort as he mentally prepared himself for the task ahead. "Alright, I'm going to break west, head straight for that generator out there. If I don't get dropped, I'll keep working my way from cover to cover, always west, until I've found whatever it is they've left for us."  
"I've opened up a local comms channel so we can keep in touch." Tali explained.  
"Right." Taking a deep breath to settle himself, Ren subconsciously squared his shoulders, gently pitching on the balls of his feet agitatedly. "Here we go."

Ren'Gerrel burst from the cavern entrance so fast his movements were almost a blur. He powered directly for the abandoned generator, hell bent on reaching it even if its offer of sanctuary was simply imagined on his part. His arms pumped furiously alongside his legs and he immediately began to wish he'd left the heavy overcloak behind. He could feel it weighing down on him with every flex of his muscles, the thermal-lined fabric stubbornly resisting his efforts to budge it. It would prove invaluable once he stopped moving he knew, but right then he would have cursed it if he'd had the breath to spare. Ignoring the way the camouflaged hood flopped around atop his helmet with every step Ren's eyes scoured the terrain ahead as he ran, pre-emptively watching for signs of enemy activity. He couldn't see anything moving, but he was keenly aware of the multitude of blind spots to his sides and rear. His heart hammered in his chest in time with the crunching thud his boots made on the ground. The snow was lighter on the plains than he'd anticipated and didn't hinder him as much as he'd feared. Fighting off images of imagined targeting reticules on his head, Ren surged forward to clear the last few metres, sliding into cover with a desperate gasp.

Knowing the protection of the generator could well be false, Ren shifted around the side, placing the bulk of the unit between himself and the cliff he'd once been sniping from. He dug his back into the cold metal, tucking his legs up as much as he could manage to try and make himself a smaller target. "I'm not bloody cut out for this legwork." He muttered to himself in a breathless tone. "Or dressed for it." He added, catching a glimpse of his maroon clad legs as the overcloak briefly fell aside. Dragging it back into place roughly with a scowl Ren briefly wondered why he'd chosen such a solid colour for both his suit and veil. Despite his mental misgivings the officer knew inwardly that the brief distraction helped allay the ever-present threat of panic. Settling back to prepare himself for the next run, Ren refused to allow himself time to look for snipers waiting to pick him off. _Tali's got you. Move or die. Now!_ The urging was all he needed and Ren burst from safety once more, sprinting across the plain with desperate speed.

* * *

Hidden away in the shadows Tali watched her friend's endeavours in painstaking silence. She could see little else from her viewpoint, her vision restricted by the encompassing walls of the icy mountain. Tearing her worried eyes away the engineer forced herself to scan the horizon for movement, not entirely sure what she was looking for. Aside from her friend, the plains appeared as still and silent as when Ren had been beside her. The only movement belonged to the myriad snowflakes that were swept up and deposited in ever-shifting swirls as the wind, its force broken by the towering cliff face to the east, toyed with the environment and her vision. Thinking about the cliff made Tali realise that she didn't have a sight on it, and that if she and Ren had been smart enough to use it to overlook the plain, there was no reason for the geth not to.

Furious with herself for not considering the possibility sooner Tali scrambled closer to the cave entrance, knowing she'd be almost as visible a target as Ren once she got nearer the sunlight. _They're only going to see you if they're looking this way,_ she comforted herself, _and with Ren running around out there they aren't going to be looking at you._ All the same she pressed herself into a sloped indentation against the western wall of the cave, digging her envirosuit against the cold ice and ignoring the protests of her frozen body. Now just within the mouth of the cave Tali had a much better line of sight on both the cliff and the narrow, stalagmite-ridden path that she'd not so long ago skittered down. She ran her eyes across the very crest of the cliff first, paying particular attention to the overhang she and Ren had made use of, then turned her attention to the path.

"I'm not bloody cut out for this legwork."  
Tali almost leapt out of her envirosuit, head whirling to find the man who'd managed to work his way beside her without her noticing. She jumped to her feet, heart hammering in her chest as adrenaline soaked her systems. The Kessler was up immediately, the Omni-Tool only a split-second behind. A bright beam of piercing light burst from the device, lighting up the interior of the darkened caves even as the voice spoke again.  
"Or dressed for it."  
The quarian almost laughed aloud with relief when her brain registered the familiar tone and the faint synthetic tinge that accompanied it through her suit's comm system. Blood surged through her body and her hands quivered slightly as she de-activated the Omni-Tool's light, the shroud of falling darkness serving to calm her. Tali shook her head with a mixture of annoyance and bemusement at her own forgetfulness as the abrupt sensations of a combat high began to fade. Moving back to the mouth of the cave and hoping desperately that her use of the torchlight hadn't given her position away, Tali risked hesitating to seek Ren out amidst the snow. The plains were still just long enough for her to start to worry when a sudden surge of movement from behind a cluster of containers drew her eye. A shapeless form materialized and charged out into the open, the murky white fabrics of his overcloak flying high at the hem with every step, exposing the familiar deep red of Ren's envirosuit for the briefest of flashes. He was only a few metres away from the strange shape in the snow now and Tali once more checked for signs of trouble, again finding nothing.

* * *

Breathing heavily under the oppressive weight of the overcloak Ren'Gerrel finally reached his objective. Sliding to a halt, his feet kicking up clouds of snow that banked around the rims of his boots, Ren swiftly flattened himself against the ground and made sure to draw the cloak over himself as best he could. The precaution was likely futile he knew, any snipers would have tracked his movements long ago. The only consolation he had was that he hadn't been killed already; while he hadn't fought many geth himself, Ren knew even an organic sniper could have taken his head off at least twice during his exposure. Still, knowing the mottled exterior of the cloak would meld almost seamlessly with the snowy ground around it bolstered his spirits enough for Ren to remain still and focus on bringing his breathing back under control. Though the snowfall on the ground was light and he'd started well, Ren had underestimated how much energy it took to maintain his speed over the entire course of the run.

After a very tense ten seconds had passed without incident, Ren slowly raised his head a fraction and began to cautiously lift one edge of the overcloak to examine the strange object lying next to him. The incremental hiking of the cloak's lip meant that he smelt it before he saw it, a sickening stench that wafted under the folds of the thermal lining and stung the quarian's nose even through the artificial olfactory sensors. His mind filled with flashes of a warehouse on Omega, a vorcha's screams as his fuel tank ignited, acrid vapours that scorched his nostrils. Bile rose in the back of his throat at the sight of a blackened, barely distinguishable arm, the charred hand intact just enough for him to make out the familiar two fingers, though whether they had belonged to a geth or a quarian he couldn't say. The smell grew stronger and Ren had to stop and disable his sensors before forcing himself to look beyond the arm, following the limb back to the equally ravaged torso. Burnt flesh and scorched fabric filled his eyes and with a knowing feeling Ren shifted his grip on the cloak to get a look at the corpse's head. Though afflicted with the same smouldering layer of black ash that engulfed the rest of the body, the half-melted plexi-glass of the dull grey visor was recognizable enough.

Dropping the heavy fabric in disgust Ren felt a surge of conflicting emotions at the revelation. Justice crowed, jealousy raged and satisfaction sparred with bitter resentment as the Lieutenant tried to come to terms with the fact that his adversary lay dead and not by his own hand. Shaking his head Ren again examined Zeras'Boa's remains, suddenly noticing that the damage seemed most severe around the quarian's legs. His confidence buoyed by the sight of his enemy lying dead at his feet and the fact that he had yet to be shot at, Ren risked raising himself out of the snow slightly, just enough to glimpse a streak of melted ice leading away from Zeras' body, the fresh-falling snow not yet thick enough to hide it from sight. Ren didn't need to see the faint claw imprints of the geth dropship's landing gear to surmise what had transpired. "Bloody synthetic Bosh'tets." He scowled.

* * *

The return to Tali'Zorah was far less stressful than Ren's departure as the quarian walked brazenly across the snow, his fears of geth retaliation allayed. Though unsure exactly why the geth had turned on their master Ren saw no reason for the synthetics to have remained on planet unless they held some kind of grudge against their creators.  
"The geth don't operate like that," was Tali's claim when he said as much to her over the comm, "that would imply feelings, something they just don't have."  
"Figured as much." Replied Ren as he drew closer to the cave mouth, this time grateful for the shelter of the overcloak against the frigid winds.  
"And...you're sure they killed Zeras?"  
Ren read into her words immediately. "He's dead Tali and they didn't leave much of him. Trust me when I say you don't need to see what remains."  
Ren felt a pang of sympathy at the mixture of despondency and relief that enshrouded her next words. "Then it's over isn't it? We're finally, _genuinely_ done."  
"Yeah, we made it." He couldn't suppress a bitter chuckle. "Finally free to start our Va'Seras."  
"Or finish it." Tali responded a moment later, her voice faint in a manner that Ren had begun to recognise as his friend being deep in thought.  
Ren's ears perked up with intrigue. "Tell me what you're thinking."  
Ahead, a familiar purple envirosuit walked confidently out of the caves. "Well, Zeras _does_ still have a ship..."

* * *

"She sure as hell looks pretty," Ren'Gerrel mused, "but what's under the hull I wonder?"  
"A lot of Cord-Hislop tech." Tali replied immediately. "X-13 series mass propulsion drive, Trachian-480 scout grade sensors, Bi-Faust comm arrays and that's just what I can see by eye."  
"Sounds nice but I was thinking more about inbuilt safety precautions, user access lockouts, contingency protocols..."  
"Bombs Ren?" Tali deciphered.  
"Bombs." Her companion replied grimly.  
The engineer shook her head. "Ever the optimist huh?"  
"I'm just saying, if _I_ wanted me dead that badly, I'd be taking those kinds of precautions."  
Tali said nothing, instead pulling up her Omni-Tool and tapping away in silence. "Well," she ventured a moment later, "scans can't find any traces of explosive compound and unless you know what you're looking for, I doubt we'll get far by patting down every centimetre of the hull." _Tempting though it may be..._ Tali eyed the white/red surface of the extravagant vessel lustily. She longed to explore it from the inside out, to see what human ships were capable of, particularly one so well crafted. _No time,_ she told herself reluctantly, _and there's always more ships in the galaxy. Bardi will just have to send me the schematics, that's all.  
_"Guess we've been lucky so far right?" Ren sarcastically muttered, stepping closer to the delta-winged craft and activating the boarding ramp controls. On cue a VI system chimed from a hidden speaker.  
"Error: User unrecognized. Please state identity and codelock."  
"Bloody knew it."  
"Error: Identity record 'Bloodyknewit' not found. Restricted access attempt logged. Two access attempts remain."  
Mercifully Ren retained the sense to keep his mouth shut this time, instead throwing his hands up in the air and stepping away in silent exasperation. Tali moved closer so the two could converse without disturbing the testy VI program.

"Any ideas?"  
Tali offered a non-committal shrug. "Zeras was always smart, we're not going to be able to guess our way in and I doubt he's using his real name. He might even have kept the previous owner's details, this is a human ship after all."  
"And it's probably changed hands before." Ren mused. "Well, we're not forcing our way in that's for sure, and if we can't crack it..."  
"I never said we couldn't crack it," replied Tali with what sounded like a grin, "just that talking to it's not going to get us anywhere."  
Ren watched warily as his companion broke off and began to approach the dormant vessel. "I hope you know what you're doing, with a ship that slick I doubt its security is going to be slow."  
Tali waved him down with the Omni-Tool she had first received from Bardi'Reska. "You'd be surprised what this thing is capable of."  
As she drew closer the VI spoke up again, the cordial human tones masking the dangers that lay beneath. "Error: User unrecognized. Please state identity and codelock."

Tali offered no response, instead using her Omni-Tool to locate and isolate the network that harboured the boarding ramp controls. Her head dipped slightly in concentration a moment later when she attempted to breach the firewall surrounding it, finding it to be of a significantly higher calibre than she had expected. Just like that, the engineer found herself up against the clock as her first experimental probe into the electronic defences was swiftly repulsed and the VI spoke up. "Warning: Anonymous user illegal access attempt detected, initiating countermeasure protocols."  
Ren looked across, his brief examination of the landing gear forgotten. "That doesn't sound good."  
Tali offered no reply. She'd already anticipated the VI's attack on her Omni-Tool as it attempted to lock her out of the system, but even so her defences barely held against the digital onslaught. Redoubling her efforts Tali managed to battle her way to a secure code cluster, fighting a continuous tug of war with both the VI's defences and its attacking code as her Omni-Tool worked to identify and isolate the necessary pass keys. Tense seconds that seemed like hours passed before the VI faltered under the weight of the invasion and Tali wasted no time in activating a full factory reset. Immediately all the lights on the display winked out.

"Tali?"  
She stepped away from the console, watching as the panel began to slowly illuminate again key by key. "You worry too much." Tali replied teasingly, though her efforts had taxed her Omni-Tool more than she'd care to admit. She made a mental note to upgrade some of the programs as soon as she got back to civilized space.  
"Can you blame me? I do have _you_ to look after y'know." Ren's feet made a soft crunching sound against the snow, the hemline of his overcloak swishing against the white powder with every movement. Catching sight of it again reminded Tali of how cold she was and how she couldn't wait to get aboard the ship. _Anyplace has got to be warmer than here.  
_The quiet was shattered by a singular high-pitched beep as the security system completed its reset. Her discomfort instantly forgotten, Tali spoke as clearly as she could. "VI, begin initial user record generation."  
A faint blue light appeared on the control board. "Commencing. Initial record ready for formulation. Please provide Administrator account identity."  
Tali thought for a moment as Ren hovered appreciatively in the background. She shot him a mischievous glance before turning back to the waiting VI. "I own you." She proclaimed.  
Ren wasn't quite able to mask the guffaw and he turned his back to shake in silent mirth, hoping he hadn't confused the temperamental VI. Fortunately he seemed to have gone unheeded.  
"Identity established, welcome 'Iownyou', please supply a codelock phrase."  
"Please and thank you."  
"Administrator account established, would you like to create a secondary user account?"  
"Yes." Replied Tali, gesturing for Ren to step up. Still amused, the quarian moved within range.  
"Preparing to add secondary user to database. Please provide account identity."  
"Ren'Gerrel nar Neema."  
"Identity established, welcome 'Ren'Gerrel nar Neema', please supply a codelock phrase."  
Ren spared a sideways glance at the woman who stood beside him, all traces of humour suddenly gone from his eyes. When he spoke, his words resonated with gravitas. "Krovak Torr."  
Tali tried to ignore the soft lump that formed in her throat, gently nodding to show her support.  
"Secondary user account created, would you like me to open the ship administrator?"  
The machinist swallowed. "Please."

In response the seal around the edges of the ramp popped with a hiss and a thick sheet of metal began to descend on a pair of hydraulic arms. Tali glanced up as it lowered, the interior of the ship masked in a dark and foreboding shadow for a moment before the interior lighting activated, bathing the grey walls of the bulkhead in a warm glow. Eager to get moving, Ren hopped up on the ramp before it had fully lowered, stooping to avoid smacking his head against the lip of the entrance. His torso was barely level with the shuttle's interior before an appreciative whistle reached Tali's ears. "Well the Bosh'tet sure was loaded, no doubt about that." Climbing up beside him, his friend could only gaze about in wonderment at the designs within.

They had emerged in the very centre of the ship, the incline of the boarding ramp leading them up to face the cool gunmetal of a bulkhead wall upon which the word 'Talaria' was proudly displayed in crisp white lettering. The hold itself was wide and spacious, with doors leading off into compartments both port and starboard. Directly behind them the walls narrowed, tapering off into a narrow gangway that presumably lead to the cockpit. A lavish bar dominated one of the walls leading away from the gangway whilst a selection of well-disguised maintenance lockers and regulation shipboard gear reflected it on the opposite side of the room. Lighting was provided through a narrow strip that encircled the perimeter of the hold, the small space providing a deceptively bright ambience. Noticing that it trailed around the side of the bulkhead in front of her, Tali's curiosity lead her around it while Ren wordlessly moved to explore one of the doors leading to the side compartments.

Tali was amazed to find that the other side of the bulkhead hid yet more space, with an oversized haptic adaptive interface filling the opposite side of the wall. A semi-circular ring of plush seating sat up against the rear of the hold, right above where Tali estimated the engines to be. Angled perfectly for the viewing screen, an ornate wooden conference table helped separate the two, a number of recessed terminals dotting the edges. Tali ran her fingers lightly across the wood, wondering if the material was organic or synthetic. In either case, she didn't care to guess at its cost. Moving back into the main section of the hold, Tali headed for the open doorway to the starboard compartment, catching a glimpse of a maroon envirosuit inside.

"This ship is bloody amazing." Ren greeted her as Tali stepped inside the room. "I've never seen anything like this before, I mean, talk about luxury!" He declared, spreading his arms wide to indicate his point. The gesture was unnecessary with the word luxury seeming to seep off the very walls themselves to throw itself at Tali's boggled mind along with a thousand other words like extravagant, exorbitant and extortionate. She gazed silently at the double bed that sat directly across from the doorway, noting the fine, creaseless fabrics that hung off it so perfectly. To her left was a small desk with another terminal, though this time the surface was made from a slightly cheaper grade of lightweight metal. Behind it sat a very comfortable looking chair made from leather like materials she didn't even want to consider the price of and against the far wall was a row of what appeared to be extravagant storage lockers. Guessing that it held clothes and other personal effects that would likely bankrupt a small planet, Tali turned her attention to the right of the room where a corner couch and small glass table faced yet another wall-filling haptic interface.

"The humans didn't waste any time learning how to build gorgeous starships did they?" She said in wonderment as she stepped further into the room.  
Ren laughed. "Keelah can you imagine their warships? If they're anything like this we should see about getting a few, the geth wouldn't stand a chance."  
"And neither would we when it came to paying the bill." Tali remarked lightly, fingers straying to rub the elaborate bedcovers between her fingers. The fabric was lighter than she'd expected and now that she was closer, she could see the intricate patterning that adorned the surface. Feeling the familiar desire to remove the gloves of her suit and experience the sensations of running her skin along the material, Tali reluctantly stepped away. Her eyes fell upon the small bedside table and the digital display that showed a multitude of information. Tali ignored the usual dates, times, weather conditions and extranet connectivity statistics, her attention piqued by the toggle control with the simple heading of 'Canopy'. _And what do you do? _She wondered, hitting the key instinctively.

A sudden whirring from above drew the attention of both quarians immediately with Ren's hand automatically straying close to his assault rifle. His caution proved unnecessary as high above the bed some indented hull plating seemed to be retracting. They both watched in silence and as soon as Tali caught a glimpse of the white clouds beyond, she understood. "It's a window." She realised. "They put a _window_ in the ceiling."  
Ren shook his head in disbelief. "Maybe the asari designed this thing after all, seems like the kind of thing they'd appreciate." He went back to examining the desk, noting that it appeared to have been used recently.  
"Oh I'll bet that looks beautiful once you're back amongst the stars." Continued Tali as though she hadn't heard him.  
"Have you checked out the rest of the ship?" Ren asked, plucking a small wineglass from the desktop and casually tossing it from hand to hand.  
"Just more high-class executive furnishings," Tali replied, finally drawing her eyes away from the now fully retracted skylight, "there's just the cockpit left."  
"C'mon then, I'll be interested in seeing where else Zeras'Boa was operating from."

* * *

"Illium, as it turns out." Tali gestured towards the open star map with one hand, indicating the planet's rough position. "According to the flight logs it's the only place this ship has been in the last seven months, well, aside from here that is." She was seated in the pilot's chair on the starboard side of the cockpit. A large scale haptic interface had blossomed in front of her and was currently busy displaying a list of all recorded destinations visited. Ren was stood a little further in front and slightly to her left, his attention on the waist high console in front of him. The distinctive red of his suit contrasted sharply with the stark whiteness outside, framing him against the starship's transparent canopy with an almost otherworldly quality.

"Illium huh?" He drew up the entry on his own display, pausing to briefly scan the extranet article. "Hmm...Explains where he got his money at least."  
"It's not that far away either," remarked Tali, "only a few relays and jumps between us."  
"Doesn't seem like a bad place to start a Pilgrimage."  
"No, it doesn't." Tali said slowly, a multitude of thoughts running through her head.  
"You alright?" Questioned Ren, picking up on her unease.  
"It's the ship," Tali decided eventually, "it just doesn't feel right. I mean it's beautiful and I'll probably never see something this expensive again in my life, but I can't shake the feeling that something is off." It wasn't the sole cause of her disquiet, but she hoped it was enough to buy her a few minutes to think at least.

Fortunately Ren seemed happy to agree, turning away from his console and nodding knowingly. "It's the space. Never thought I'd say it, but the ship's just not confined enough."  
Looking around the spacious cockpit, Tali realised he was right. The gangway he stood upon was far wider than any she'd come across aboard the _Rayya_ and the room afforded to both the pilot and co-pilot was nigh on criminal. Even the seat she occupied was much bigger and more luxurious than it needed to be. In Tali's mind you could have fitted three equally functional seats in the same area and still have room left over for half of the consoles stacked against the walls to be placed amongst them. She abruptly decided not to even let herself think about the narrow and as far as she could see useless strip that led to a single console directly in front of the ship's canopy, a position that Ren currently occupied. "At least she won't stay like this for long once she gets back to the flotilla." She muttered, more to herself than anyone.

"What do you mean?" Asked Ren, keen ears picking up her words.  
Tali cursed herself for the slip up and reluctantly decided she'd better get the inevitable over with quickly. "You should take the ship." She replied before she could second guess herself. "She's a great choice for ferrying the Conclave about and a little bit of back-engineering could give us so many breakthroughs half the machinists aboard the fleet will probably want to kiss you. It's a good Pilgrimage gift Ren, perfect for an Admiral's son."  
The taller quarian regarded her in silence for a moment, giving thought to her proposal before speaking again. "I'm not going to dispute that you're right Tali, but why are you only talking as though I should go?"  
And there it was, the question she'd been both expecting and dreading. Tali broke eye contact, trying desperately to build up the courage to say what she had to as her nervous gaze travelled around the interior of the ship. "I...well...two quarians never..." suddenly aware that her hands were wringing together yet again, Tali forced herself to split them apart and continue, "we can't present one gift for two people Ren, I mean, how arrogant would that be?"  
Mercifully, her friend stopped her from rambling any further. "Stop it Tali. You know you deserve to go home just as much as I do. If you think I'm just going to abandon you after all we've been through-"  
"Ren, listen to me. I'm not the one who's been hunted after since we began our Pilgrimage," Tali replied as firmly as she could manage, "I just got taken along for the ride, that's all. Zeras was only ever interested in you and now that he's dead your quest for justice is over. You've probably accomplished more in your Pilgrimage than most quarians have in their lives and because of you, the _saevl _of everyone, the _Tarmeena_ pilgrims, Nira, Torr, they can all rest."  
"And I couldn't have done any of it without you," Ren replied with the first hints of anger creeping into his voice, "so don't you even dare to suggest I take the credit for it."  
"It's not about credit it's about making sure the fleet knows about Zeras'Boa, the mothers and fathers of the dead need an explanation for what happened. They need to know what Zeras tried to do, they need to know that he's dead and the Conclave needs to know that he'd managed to gain control of the geth again."  
"Yeah and look how far that got him."  
"It was further than anyone else on the fleet has gotten in the last 300 years." Said Tali pointedly. "Even if it backfired, they _need_ to know about it."  
"We've got an extranet for that." Replied Ren, clearly reluctant to back down.  
"You know it won't be the same and besides, the flotilla needs all the ships it can get. We can't afford to leave opportunities like this," she patted the arm of her chair for emphasis, "behind. Don't you see Ren? You could help so many people just by going home. "

Her friend eyed her stonily, arms crossed tightly atop his broad chest. Tali could almost see him chewing at the inside of his lip, furious with her. "I still don't like it." He said eventually, dark eyes refusing to look at her as he stepped away from the console with an angry surge and brought his hands down on the back of the co-pilot's chair, tension evident in every facet of his posture.  
"We both know it makes sense." The engineer spoke softly, hating herself for having to do this to him. Part of her didn't want him to go at all; Tali had expected that, but she hadn't anticipated just how much she actually wanted him to stay. Opposing him took more strength of will than she cared to admit.  
"That doesn't make it any easier for me to walk out on you." Replied Ren and though only his right side was visible to her, she could tell at least some of his frustration had faded. "My dad was right when he said the galaxy isn't as idyllic as we'd like to think."  
"I'll be fine, really." She reassured. "I know how to take care of myself."  
Tali felt a burst of relief when Ren managed an amused huff and a disconsolate shake of his head. "Yeah, that you can." He finally turned to look at her again, locking eyes in a silent battle of wills. Tali was hard pressed to maintain contact and had to restrain herself from sighing in relief when he finally broke the silence with a reluctant chuckle. "You're not going to take no for any answer are you?  
"Your clan isn't the only one that can be stubborn Gerrel."  
Acquiescing with a sigh, Ren beckoned with his hand. "Well, c'mon. If that's the way it's got to be then I could use a stiff drink. That _was_ a bar I saw back there right?"


	33. Chapter 33: Division

**Chapter 33 - Division  
**"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ren asked for the umpteenth time.  
"It's a little late now isn't it?" Tali replied from the pilot's seat of the turian cargo-runner that they had arrived on Olsav with just hours earlier. She was having difficulty believing that such a short time had passed since then; already it felt like days since she'd last felt the body-wrenching tug of mass relay travel.  
"Just saying, I've got room if you've got second thoughts."  
Tali shook her head at his persistence. The Lieutenant had been hounding her ever since she'd declared her intentions the night before, unwilling to make her face the galaxy alone. Tali smiled to herself. Much as it was irritating, it comforted her to know her friend cared. Her eyes gazed through the transparent canopy, the protective plexi-glass a scant half-metre away from her visor. Only the swirling hues of FTL travel filled her eyes but she knew the _Talaria_ was out there, flying in perfect formation just a few klicks off to starboard. Tali remained silent as she attempted to track the ever shifting distortions around the hull, remembering a childhood spent gazing out of tiny portholes in wonderment and awe. The sensations echoed here but they were accompanied by a sense of vulnerability; never before had she sat at the very forefront of a vessel and watched the galaxy go by, separated from the vacuum by only inches of synthetic materials. If it wasn't for the control board encompassing the seat around her waist, Tali could almost believe she was floating freely through space.

"Tali?"  
The engineer suddenly realised she hadn't responded for some time. "It's for the best," she replied, struggling briefly to remember what they had been discussing, "and at least it's roomier this time around."  
Even across the comm, Ren's familiar chuckle filled her heart with a mixture of joy and longing. Tali fixated herself on it, intent on committing the sound to memory. Inwardly she knew that for all their bravado, this could well be the last time she heard it. "Yeah, kinda forgot how small that cargo hold was for you." He remarked. "I do remember how 'comfortable' that chair was though, be thinking of you when I go to take a nap in one of these beds later."  
Tali fought the urge to shuffle in her seat, now all the more conscious of the supportive metal bar that ran up the back of the chair and seemed to dig into her spine with increasing vigour at every passing moment. "Enjoy it while you can Lieutenant, pretty soon you'll be stuck with navy cots again."  
Ren groaned dramatically and Tali shook her head at his hyperbole, remembering his difficulty adapting to the softness of Torr's couch.

The quarian engineer pulled her hands away from the controls for the first time since takeoff, watching on the vid-screens as Olsav faded into the distance behind them, both ships making good time towards the system's mass relay. Her mind drifted back to yesterday's events and how, after sharing a few drinks and synth tubes together, the quarians had eventually spent the night aboard the _Talaria_. Exhausted by the events of the last few hours, Tali had slept better than she'd expected. All the same she had been eager to move on once she awoke and with Ren being of the same mind the Lieutenant had launched the ship, detouring to the cargo-runner they had claimed back on Omega which was now half-buried in snow. Ren had settled the _Talaria_ a short distance from the runner and had walked Tali back to the ship, exposing himself to the frigid weather without complaint as he got her into the pilot's seat and gave her a quick walkthrough of the confusing turian layout. To her own relief Tali had adapted quickly, memorizing the locations of the keys and matching them to what she could recall of her time aboard the _Rayya_. Ren had retreated to Zeras' old ship before long and, with him talking her through the remainder from memory alone, Tali had managed a successful practice takeoff and landing within the hour. With Ren's assurances that setting down on Illium wouldn't be as difficult as bringing the ship down in Olsav's unforgiving conditions, the duo had eventually parted from the surface, breaching the frozen planet's atmosphere without incident.

Tali had been grateful to see that most of Ren's resentment about her plans seemed to have faded by the time he'd coached her through piloting the smuggler's starship and it was only as they drew closer to Neslanya's relay that the subject had cropped up again. Breathing out a long sigh Tali leant back in her seat as best she could, wondering yet again if she was doing the right thing. Instinct and logic said yes but some lingering part of her wanted nothing more than to take the opportunity to head back to the Migrant Fleet, to go home as she'd desired for what felt like an age. Tali knew it was selfish and that she was better than that, but it made it no easier to resist when Ren threw the question at her time after time.

"We're coming up on the relay." Said the unwitting source of her misgivings as the autopilot dropped them both out of FTL flight. "How're you holding up over there?"  
"I'm fine," replied Tali as the blue hues faded away and the _Talaria_ reappeared exactly where it had been last, "frankly I'm more worried about you."  
"How so?"  
Tali couldn't help sending the shuttle a mischievous glance. "How many bottles of that turian wine did you have last night? You're looking a little wobbly with the wings there."  
"Oh funny," was the dry response, "you're a real comedienne huh?"  
"Just when you thought you'd seen the extent of my talents too. Told you I was going to be fine out here."  
The light heartedness faded from Ren's voice. "Seriously though, how are you going to manage down there? I hear Illium's pretty expensive."  
Tali hesitated. Truthfully she'd been wondering that herself. "I managed to lift some credits from Zeras' base. It's not much," she admitted, cutting off the question she knew was coming, "but it'll be enough to get me started."  
"And from there?"  
"Who knows? I suppose I'll let that famous clan Zorah intuition guide me."  
"Well," said Ren noncommittally, "it's done well by you so far." He trailed off for a moment before speaking again. "We're almost within range, you remember how to transmit your mass reading to the relay?"  
Tali's hand hovered above the haptic interface uncertainly. "Vaguely..."  
"See if you can bring up the scope, the relay should be visible and all you've got to do is highlight it. It'll bring up a basic window, shouldn't be too hard to input the details from there."  
It wasn't and Tali quickly keyed in the necessary data, adding in coordinates for the Tasale system as she did so.  
"I just hope Illium at least turns out to be more welcoming than Omega."  
"It should be pretty quiet," Ren reassured her, "aside from all the traffic. Illium might be on the fringes of the Terminus Systems but it's also one of the biggest colonies out here, no way any psychos with sub-par stealth missiles are going to show up."  
"And what about you?" Tali questioned. "The fleet is thousands of light years from here, you could run into anything on your way there."  
"I'll be hitting the primary relay out-system once we're on the other side, should get me a few systems away from the fleet and with a ship this fast I'll be home before you know it."  
Tali tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy she felt. _This was your idea, you knew what you were doing. _

The machinist raised her eyes from the haptic interface and glanced out of the cockpit, eyes immediately drawn to the massive structure awaiting them before a soft chime from the runner's control board diverted her attention momentarily. "I'm almost to the relay." She announced, feeling a shiver run up her spine as the two ships drew nearer. She'd only seen the ancient constructs a few times before and always from deep within the bowels of the _Rayya_, a colossal creation in its own right. Back then she'd felt awed, impressed, and confined within the home she'd once believed would dwarf the stars themselves. That initial sense of grandeur had been lost as the _Rayya_ drew closer, the tiny viewport she had shared with Naria'Pael offering little to gaze at beyond detailed close-ups of the superstructure's flank. Aboard the runner the feeling was markedly different with most of her upper body visible through the heavy cockpit glass, offering her a panoramic view of the relay. The exposure made her feel incredibly vulnerable, a small and insignificant speck in the presence of something far older and greater than she could ever aspire to be. The quarian's eyes tracked the movements of the rotating arms as the relay slowly began to dominate her view, the central mass effect core pulsating with a dark energy that defied comprehension. Right then the mass relay seemed the very embodiment of power and purpose, a last, lingering spectre of prothean achievement.

"Alright Tali," said Ren, inadvertently breaking the spell she was under, "you head through first. Just let the autopilot guide you into the mass effect corridors."  
Tali sucked in a breath as she activated the autopilot, the runner immediately swooping to bring the relay up alongside her. "It looks a lot bigger from this angle."  
"Nothing that hasn't been done before." Replied Ren with an easy confidence. "Remember, I'm right behind you."  
Tali nodded to herself, remembering to relax as her friend had once told her back when this all began. She settled into her seat, loosening her muscles as best she could with one eye on the diminishing numbers showing on the haptic display. "Hitting the relay in 2...1..." The cargo-runner lurched forward as the prothean technology worked its magic, though nowhere near as violently as the rickety _Tarmeena_ had once done. Like a bullet from a monstrously oversized gun the runner blasted into the cosmos in a tunnel of blue energy, surging across the galaxy in arrant defiance of space and time. Tali had the briefest of moments to savour the unnatural feeling of existing outside the universe's laws before the turian ship reached its sister relay and rapidly decelerated, slipping out of the mass effect corridors a few klicks away from the Neslanya relay.

Tali let the cargo-runner drift freely for a moment, taking the time to study the scope and get a grip on her surroundings. Though she suspected they had been upgraded whilst in the smuggler's care, both the active and passive sensors were still civilian grade and felt incredibly limited in comparison with their quarian equivalents. Together they offered little more than a good look at the immediate area and as Tali struggled to expand the scan's area, a short burst of static in her ear indicated that Ren'Gerrel had re-entered comms range.  
"You made it through ok Tali?" He asked as his friend quickly placed a marker on his ship using the ladar system.  
"I'm fine," she replied, "I'm drifting a few klicks to your port."  
"I see you. It's a lot quieter here than I'd expected."  
It was true. Besides them only a few scattered blips on the sensors indicated the presence of other vessels nearby. Most registered as small, private trading vessels with a few bigger Kowloon-class freighters belonging to any number of galaxy spanning corporations slowly making their way through the system.  
"Not exactly the buzzing hub system the extranet paints it as, is it?" Said Tali dubiously.  
The _Talaria_ suddenly swept across her canopy from above, Ren expertly settling the sleek ship back into its starboard formation. "It'll be busier on the trade routes near the primary relay, this secondary only leads to backwaters and second-rate colony worlds. Don't be surprised if you get caught up in the orbital queues when you reach Illium."  
_Illium_. She could see the asari world on her star charts now, just over an hour's journey via FTL travel. The conflicting sensations of longing, regret and excitement were all notions that Tali had come to expect but this time they were accompanied by something else. She could feel a burgeoning sense of trepidation as the navigation systems plotted her path to the colony, a deep-rooted, unsettling feeling that gave her pause. Annoyed with herself, Tali cast aside her misgivings and accepted the course heading. _It's just the effects of Zeras' plots, things are different now, and you don't have to worry. Nobody's hunting you anymore, you're not in danger._ Somehow believing that was proving much more difficult than it should have been.

"Well," Ren ventured with some reluctance, "I hate to say it Tali but I think this is where I get off."  
The flush of anxiety was suddenly a lot harder to ignore. "Why? It'll take you a while to reach the relay won't it?"  
"Not as long as you'd think in this ship." At least he had the mercy to sound pained. "I could keep the comm channel open but...well, I think it's going to be best if we just go our separate ways now. No sense in prolonging things. Ping me if you run into trouble but otherwise..." His voice trailed off. He didn't need to explain how he'd rather be alone with his thoughts.  
"Then...this is it, isn't it?" Tali replied as she slowly accepted that he was right. She was suddenly having a hard time keeping her voice above a whisper.  
"Yeah. I'm not going to question you again so...is there anyone you want me to pass a message to when I get back?"  
Tali swallowed, infinitely grateful her friend couldn't see her attempts to compose herself. She took a steadying breath, hands clenching into the armrests, determined to force some backbone into her words. "Te...tell Naria'Pael that I haven't forgotten about that mirror and...Bardi'Reska that he better not overcharge the lighting capacitors again." _Bardi_. It felt like a betrayal that she was turning down the opportunity to see her mentor again so soon.  
"What about your father?" Ren asked, not entirely able to mask his dismay at her apparent exclusion of him.  
Tali felt the lump in her throat get tighter as she gazed at the _Talaria_. _Would father even know of Ren's return? Our journey together? Would he even care? _Then another thought struck her. _It doesn't matter. _I_ care._ "Tell him-" she started, words dying in her throat before she licked her lips and tried again, "tell him that his daughter loves him and that no matter what happens, I _will_ make him proud."  
There was a moment's silence before Ren spoke again. "I'll do you one better." He replied with quiet intensity. "I'll tell him all the reasons he should already be proud."  
That broke her. It was only through supreme force of will that Tali was able to keep herself from sobbing aloud as the hot tears that had been threatening her for so long finally began to trickle down her flushed cheeks. It seemed like an eternity before she could managed to form words again. "Ren..._thank you_."  
She could almost see his gentle nod, the tension in his body as he fought against the demands of his own emotions. "Keelah Selai, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya...what you've done for me..." He struggled for a moment, and she could hear the wavering as he fought to master himself. "I'll never forget it."  
"Keelah Selai Ren'Gerrel nar Neema." Tali echoed quietly, her eyes riveted on her friend's starship, its outline blurred by salty droplets. "It's been an honour."  
"It's been a lot more than that."  
Before she could open her mouth to reply, the _Talaria_ surged forward in a blue haze, leaving behind a rapidly fading warp in the fabric of space as the only evidence that the sleek starship had once been floating right beside her.

* * *

"I'm sorry madam but the regulations are perfectly clear." Declared the asari traffic controller. "Unless you have a private docking bay of your own or either a council, governmental or corporate sanction, I cannot grant you permission to land unless you can afford the docking and administration fees."  
Tali'Zorah rubbed the top of her helmet in frustration. The prim and proper alien was trying her patience. "I've already told you," she argued, "I'm not keeping this ship. I'm only landing it long enough to sell it."  
"And can you tell me how long that will take?" The asari's question might have been interpreted as aggressive if she hadn't sounded so bored. "Selling a starship isn't a quick process on any world and Illium has almost as many regulations as the Citadel. If you have a buyer waiting please forward me their details and I will see if we have any outstanding transaction records on our system."  
Tali sank back into the synthetic fabrics of her chair in annoyance, swallowing the impatient sigh that she so desperately wanted to release. The quarian had been stuck in an orbital holding pattern above the asari world for close to an hour now, waiting along with countless other private shuttles, independent traders and tourists. The delay hadn't improved her already dour mood, particularly when she pictured Ren traversing half the galaxy within the same time frame. And now her patience had been rewarded by traffic control's flat denial of her repeated requests to land. Tired of the lack of progress that seemed to be plaguing her Va'Seras, Tali decided to try the direct approach.

"Look, I've had a long journey to get here with this ship." She began. "I've been through things over the last few days that you probably couldn't even begin to imagine and now that I'm finally at a planet that is supposed to be dominated by an active trader's market, you're trying to tell me that there's no one capable of buying a ship from someone who desperately wants to sell?"  
Silence followed her accusation and Tali was just beginning to suspect she was about to be disconnected when a heavy sigh filled her ears. "Alright, look. Frankly I'm not exactly having the best day of my life here and you don't sound much better yourself so how about I do us both a favour and key up one of the local hot dealers for you?"  
Tali straightened in her chair, leaning forward slightly in anticipation. _Finally!_ "What's a hot dealer?" She asked. Glad though she was to be getting somewhere, Tali wasn't about to let herself walk into blindly into a situation if she could help it.  
"They're the kind of merchants who'll buy anything, no questions asked." Explained the traffic controller. "If you're that desperate to rid yourself of a ship they'll take it, but they'll take any fees they see fit out of the price."  
_In other words I'm not going to get even close to what the ship's worth._ "And that's my only option?"  
"Unless you want to turn around and head back the way you came."  
Tali twisted her lip in dissatisfaction. "Then I guess the decision's made for me, isn't it?" She muttered.  
"Right." Agreed the asari. "I'll patch someone though."  
Tali tweaked the comm slightly as the runner began to enter Illium's dark side. "Thanks for the warning anyway, and jumping me through. Sorry if I came across badly, it's been a long week."  
"Yeah tell me about it sweetheart. Tell you what, buy me a drink next time you come through and we're square, name's Tara. Oh and by the way, I'm no expert but that ship's worth at least 90k."  
"Huh?"

The line fell dead and Tali had only seconds to wrap her head around the traffic controller's cryptic words before the console began to flash with an incoming call. With all the caller information fields showing blank, Tali reluctantly established a link. "Hello?"  
"Good afternoon." Said the unmistakably deep voice of a krogan. "I am a representative for a Mr. Thax. I am told you wish to part with a starship?"  
Tali hesitated. The last time she'd heard a voice like that it had been telling her to run and leave the owner for dead. Flashes of a familiar twinkling eye and wide grin passed in front of her and Tali had to clench her teeth as she blinked away the memories of her friend.  
"Am I transmitting clearly?" Asked the krogan.  
"I- Yes," Tali recovered, "and you're right, I do."  
"Very good. Now, according to the records I've been forwarded, you are currently in possession of a Baetikan Aeronautics LH-233 'Gladis', is that correct?  
Tali's translator might as well have been broken for all she understood of the latter half of the sentence. "Umm, yes..."  
"I have also been led to understand that the model in question is...past its prime, if you'll permit the terminology. Are you able to provide a list of the ship's previous owners and service history?"  
Tali shook her head disbelievingly at the man's excessive formality. _Whoever wrote those codex entries we read on the krogans obviously never met one in person._ Resolving not to let her desire to get out of the cramped cockpit have any influence, Tali attempted to match the krogan's polite tone. "I'm afraid don't have any records of that."  
"May I inquire as to why this is the case?"  
Tali scrambled for an answer. The last thing she wanted to do was admit she'd effectively stolen the vessel and give the krogan even more reason to drop the price of his offer. "I...inherited the ship from a relative. Unfortunately he forgot to include the paperwork and I didn't discover it until I was out of range of the quarian fleet."  
"I see." Said the krogan, his voice giving away nothing. "That may make matters difficult. Based on what few records we have and accommodating Illium's brokerage, I am prepared to offer you the sum of 45,000 credits for the procurement of the starship."  
_45,000._ Almost half of what the asari traffic controller had estimated. Tali made a point of keeping the indignation out of her tone when she replied. "I've already had this ship appraised privately," she lied, "the quote was a lot more than 45k."  
The krogan didn't skip a beat. "It is not as simple a matter as that unfortunately. Illium appreciates the businessman who files his paperwork correctly and Mr. Thax is nothing if not conscientious. I'm certain you can appreciate the copious amount of administrative work that is necessary when such a short notice transaction is filed, particularly given the, if you'll pardon me, questionable history of your particular vessel."  
"60,000 credits." Tali snapped back immediately, growing tired of being pushed around and manipulated.  
"An extra 15,000? I'm afraid that is simply non-negotiable."  
"Then I'll take the business elsewhere," threatened Tali, "I'm sure there's plenty of other dealers down there that will be happy to give me a fairer price."  
"Clearly you have not been to Illium before," replied the krogan, "You'll find that my employer is one of the most generous and reputable businessmen with the willingness to handle transactions of your particular nature. I assure you, even if you were to find a better deal elsewhere, you would have to be well established within certain circles before such a thing could become a reality to you."  
Tali paused to consider her options. The irony that Zeras'Boa would have strolled through conversations like these was not lost on her. "52,000." She declared finally. "That's less than two thirds what the ship's worth." According to Tara's estimate it wasn't, and the krogan likely knew it, but it made Tali feel less like she was at the krogan's mercy.  
The time between her words and the representative's response seemed to last for an eternity. "52,000 is...acceptable." He stated finally. "I will forward you the necessary coordinates and request that traffic control clear you for descent. If you'd be so kind as to follow their directions to Docking Bay 17 I will arrange for a colleague to greet you and finalize the arrangements."  
Tali felt like punching the air in victory before she remembered she was still getting a lot less credits than she should have been. _It's more than I had before._ She reasoned with herself. "Docking Bay 17 it is."  
"Thank you for your business." Replied the krogan. "Have a pleasant day."

* * *

Hours later Tali sat alone in one of Illium's more non-descript bars, the fingers of one hand wrapped around the wisplike stalk of a sealed drinking glass whilst the others gently beat out a repetitive rhythm on the murky green glass of the tabletop. Pulsing, lyricless music beat out steadily from a hidden speaker somewhere above her, played at just such a volume to be clear and audible when desired, but prepared to fade peacefully into the background when one wanted to think or hold a conversation. Though Tali had been doing plenty of the former, she hadn't spoken with anyone since meeting the krogan's colleagues when she'd brought her ship in for landing. Even then conversation had been brief, the volus bay manager and his two human escorts swiftly examining the ship before paying her the agreed upon amount and sending her on her way. Tali had hesitated only to check the credit transfer before leaving the docking bay without incident and after some floating through the local district with no particular goal in mind, she'd glimpsed the sign for the bar and had gone inside hoping to collect her thoughts.

Inside the bar the atmosphere was smooth and subtle and the majority of the patrons seemed to want to keep to themselves, which suited Tali fine. Even those in small groups were respectful enough to keep their voices lowered as they conversed and the bartender, with orders placed electronically, was kept busy in silence, occasionally dipping his head in acknowledgement of credits from those nearer the bar. At first Tali had thought the quiet might have been a result of her arrival, the stigma towards quarians at the forefront of her mind. Her experiences on Omega had prepared her for the onslaught of hateful glares and shouted slurs spewing from the mouths of passersby, but oddly she had encountered none of that here. Instead the people of Illium seemed content to simply ignore her presence entirely, looking aside or avoiding eye contact as though she wasn't there, but never showing outright displeasure or disgust at her existence. Even now, as she glanced around her environment for the umpteenth time, she provoked no response from the majority of the club's patrons. The body language of a few gave away the subtle shifting of heads to avoid her gaze but ultimately it seemed Illium was content to treat her existence as being no more substantial than that of the furniture. After her experiences lately, it was an arrangement Tali'Zorah was happy to accept.

She took a sip of the re-purposed turian alcohol through a modified drinking straw, a utensil that her roommate Naria'Pael had once jokingly described as an 'emergency induction port'. The engineer smiled to herself at the memory, glad that with the business with Zeras behind her, she was that much closer to seeing her friend again. She lowered the glass and eyed it wearily. This was her second and when she bought the first one, she had been hoping it would soothe her nerves and help her think a little clearer. Though it had warmed her heart and the soft tingling sensation had certainly proved comforting, the alcohol had done little to help Tali gather her thoughts. The quarian sighed softly. _I'm probably being unrealistic, expecting to get an inspired idea from a Pilgrimage gift when it's barely been two minutes since Ren went back to the Fleet. _She wondered briefly about her friend, if he'd had as much trouble leaving the system as she'd had staying it in. He hadn't contacted her since they went their separate ways so he should have been well on his way hours ago. _Off home to his family._ She thought jealously, then shook her head. _I won't get anything more done today,_ Tali told herself, _you got yourself here in one piece, now let's take the profits from the sale of the ship and find somewhere to stay the night._

Succumbing to common sense, Tali was about to climb wearily out of her seat when the door to the bar slid open and a pair of turians stepped inside. Tali immediately adjusted her movement, attempting to disguise her actions as shifting in her seat. She couldn't say what instinct had made her stop, or explain the sudden alarms that rang in her head as she looked at the newcomers. They paused for the briefest of moments, unassuming frames outlines against the bright glare of the neon entryway. They each appeared to examine the interior of the bar for a moment and then, as if on cue, one of the turians stepped away, making directly for the counter and the lone turian bartender behind it. The second man moved to his left, seating himself at an unoccupied table in a nearby alcove, the dull fabrics of his suit allowing him to blend seamlessly into the aqua glow of the soft mood lighting.

Tali'Zorah eyed them as innocuously as she could, grateful that her pupils were hidden behind the tinted glass of her visor. A deep-seated impulse was screaming that something about the two men was off. The turian at the counter, his face daubed in delicate orange facial markings, gestured the bartender over and spoke a few words in his ear. It looked perfectly innocent, a man buying liquor in a bar just like all the other customers was nothing to make a fuss over. So why then wouldn't the sense of unease go away? The turian's hand moved towards a pocket, presumably to pay the tab in advance but before Tali could hope to get a glimpse of the exchange, a slightly off-balance human stumbled across her field of view. Tali hid her irritation but when the human had moved past, the turian had already concluded his business. He now stood with his back to the counter, elbows supporting his bodyweight on the smooth surface behind him. His eyes roved across the entire bar and Tali had little doubt that he was busily eyeing up everyone there. She'd seen the look before, reflected in the eyes of Krovak Torr and many of the mercenaries they had faced together on Omega. It was the careful study of a man expecting some kind of action, possibly a fight. A man smart enough to size up his environment before making his move.

When the turian's gaze eventually came to a stop on one of the vidscreens not far from her own table, Tali expected to feel a sense of relief. Instead the tension in her gut only tightened. Somehow, even though the man's eyes were seemingly fixed on the gyrations of the hyper-active dancers in the music video, she suspected that every movement she made was being monitored. Using the action of drinking from her glass in order to hide her true intent, though she never swallowed another drop of the alcohol, Tali risked a glance at the second turian who was seated at the table. The man had orange facial patterns similar to his counterpart, though in the dull green light from the overhead fixtures his tight-fitting business suit seemed to be of a better quality. His face was lean and his body movements tense as he drew a small datapad from his pocket and studied it intently, fingers flicking through screens as his dark eyes drank in whatever was on there. Tali couldn't tell if he'd ordered anything but his partner at the bar had just received a drink of his own, though oddly he didn't appear to have bought one for his friend.

Tali suddenly realised something. The turian at the bar had never needed to speak with the bartender, his order could have been placed just as swiftly through one of the many transaction terminals that dotted the counter and tables around the room. So why then go and order with the bartender directly? She suspected some people might prefer dealing with a physical being but then, why only order a drink for himself and not his friend at the table? The quarian wondered if the two aliens were perhaps not together at all but immediately dismissed the notion. Their arrival had been too deliberate for her to believe that, even if she'd wanted to and try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were here for her. It wasn't just her struggling to get accustomed to normal life again after Zeras, this was different, Tali could feel it. The alarms these two set off just by entering the room were right up there with hull breach klaxons. The turians were looking for _her_ and somehow she doubted they were tour guides.

Coming to a decision Tali pushed aside her quarter-full glass and got to her feet as casually as she could, momentarily cursing whatever urge had possessed her to purchase spirits. With careful deliberation she made her way across the room, heading for the door on the opposite side. Knowing that keeping a low profile as she moved was impossible due to her species, Tali walked boldly across the centre of the bar, keeping her head straight and reluctantly letting the turians slip from her gaze as she passed. She half-expected the one at the booth to try and stop her as she neared the exit but she saw no sign of him and didn't dare risk looking back as she keyed open the door and stepped out into Illium's bracing night air.


	34. Chapter 34: Encounter

**Chapter 34 - Encounter  
**To Tali's surprise as she stepped outside the concourse was still bustling with people, though she guessed there were slightly less now than there had been when she entered the bar. The distinctive whining of mass drives drew her gaze skyward and the streams of aircar traffic looked as solid as ever, their routes through the labyrinthine maze of Illium's upper streets accompanied by the occasional departure of a starship from the docking platforms, the bright blue engine wash briefly flaring up the whole skyline. Evidently Illium was a planet that never slept, not unlike the migrant fleet. Tali might have been comforted by it if she'd had been so perturbed by the two turians in the bar. Stepping out of the doorway the quarian joined the crowds making their way south down the long pedestrian highway, the surface coated in a simple synthetic metal, easy to maintain yet smooth enough to blend in amongst the sleek architecture.

Tali barely registered it all, her head down as she moved in between two groups of pedestrians, hoping that the local's desire to avoid quarians wouldn't kick in anytime soon. A small trio of provocatively dressed asari trailed behind her, their young voices burgeoning with enough excitement to let Tali track their position audibly. In front a collection of assorted races, six men in all, strode confidently down the concourse, their voices low and heavy with weariness as they discussed the twelve hour shift that lay ahead of them. After a mere twenty paces the compulsion to look back became too much for the quarian. She didn't risk anything more than a quick glance but it was enough for her to glimpse the man masquerading as a turian businessman leaving the bar's alcove and joining the throngs.

Tali snapped her head back around instantly, chin nearly grazing her chest as she sought to lower her posture as much as she could. A cold, hard lump of metal had settled in the pit of her stomach and despite the alcohol she'd just ingested, the warmth within her body had fled, replaced by an icy chill. The drowsiness she'd felt back in the bar had fortunately gone with it and now she felt switched on and alert once more. Tali scrambled for ideas as she progressed further down the wide walkway, doing her best to drown out the giggling of the asari as they discussed their plans to find some excitement that night. She badly wanted to shed the distinctive lilac veil, feeling the hard-wearing fabrics made her stand out even in the busy crowds. Tali appreciated the bitter irony of the sensation, remembering well that she'd picked out the colours for exactly that reason back home. _Home_. Suddenly, inspiration struck the engineer.

Breathing deep, Tali calmed herself, standing taller and bringing her head and shoulders back into their familiar posture. She remembered well the way she'd once fled from the _Rayya's_ sickbay, the desperate shouts that followed her as Shala'Raan vas Tonbay pursued her through the busy corridors of the liveship. A single child at the age of 8 years Tali'Zorah had never needed to work hard when she wanted to disappear. Though she enjoyed the multitude of people to interact with after so long spent in near isolation in the birthing bubbles, Tali had occasionally felt the need to break away from the crowds and return to the comfort of that familiar isolation. She'd known where she was going the moment the sickbay door had shut, her mind filling with visions of the hidden service hatch she'd found weeks ago. In the present, Tali kept walking steadily down the Illium concourse, remembering her aunt's panicked shouts and the way she'd ignored them, using her small size and nimble feet to slip past slow to respond guards and laden down shipworkers.

Once she'd outpaced Shala's cries the young Tali then ducked into the trading market to lose her for good amongst the ever-present crowds there. The girl had slowed by that point, instinctually aware that walking swiftly and taking a convoluted route to her goal would help her go unnoticed amongst the other quarians, many of whom knew her well. Eventually she had emerged at the other side of the market, grateful that her aunt appeared to have lost her. The child within her had been coming to the end of her self control as Tali left the markets behind and sprinted through the remaining corridors before finally catching sight of the completely everyday service hatch built into the familiar grey bulkheads.

A passing cargo lifter blared loudly, jarring Tali back into reality. A human was forced to jump aside and shook his fist at the driver who responded with a few choice words of his own. Tali seized the opportunity to glance back once more, hoping the incident would distract her two tailers. Fortunately there were few turians in the area and she soon spotted the distinctive burnt orange markings of the man at the bar. Sure enough his eyes were on the near accident ahead but his feet carried him towards it without breaking pace, remaining a continual distance from Tali as he kept to the westward side of the concourse. Tali turned her head back, not wanting to be noticed looking for the second man. She knew without a doubt he was in the crowds somewhere and by now she was convinced that the duo meant her harm. As the cargo lifter moved on and the hum of conversation dropped back into normal levels Tali realised that she could no longer hear the chattering of the asari group behind her and that she'd not spotted them when she'd looked back either. Furious with herself, Tali felt a moment's anger before she crushed it. _You made a mistake, now calm down and think before you make another one._

Again she gazed down the pedestrian walkway, roving eyes met with disappointment once more. _Apparently Illium's police force prides itself on never being around when you need it_. Tali thought bitterly, seeing the massive domed structure that dominated the horizon but not really taking in the inspiring sight. _What would I tell them anyway? I _think_ I'm being followed, could you drive me to an apartment for the night and maybe guard the door? Keelah that'd go down well._ Tali glanced down at her figure before she could help herself. _Perhaps a little too well._ She decided with a strained smile that helped her ignore the feeling that a target was painted on her back. _Guess I'm going to have to rely on myself for this; can't be too difficult, just like back on the _Rayya and_ I've got my weapons if things go wrong._ A sudden thought struck the quarian. _Keelah that volus never even mentioned them when I sold him the ship! Was I supposed to register them? There's got to be a permit at the very least!_ The engineer suddenly felt very glad she hadn't seen any police after all. _They'd arrest me on the spot!_ She resisted the panicked urge to look around for uniformed officials. _Well this is perfect...not only do I have stalkers but if I run into the good guys I'm done. Looks like I'm going to have to do a better job of disappearing than I thought._

The quarian risked turning her head to the left and right slightly, quietly taking in the surroundings. _Going left isn't going to get me anywhere_, she decided as she gazed at the circular docking complexes, _no one but starship crews and dockworkers out there, too many big buildings to hope for hiding places as well. _Tali decided she liked the second option better, seeing the eastern side of the concourse littered with off-paths leading into what appeared to be an intricate maze of side streets and small tourism booths, sales offices and the occasional bar and residential building. _The perfect place to get lost. _She steadied herself before she made her move, knowing that this couldn't be like her flight from Shala'Raan. Instead Tali began to move casually across the thoroughfare, increasing her pace slightly as she slipped past a grubby salarian dockworker with a curt apology. Immediately she realised that her main problem was going to be the crowd. Though not hostile, their prejudice was enough to make them instinctively keep their distance from the quarian. Clearly there was no way Tali would be able to blend in amongst them. _I can still use them as a screen though. _The engineer decided and gamely upped her pace, darting into gaps that anyone else would have left alone, relying on her quick feet and submissive posture to avoid angering the preoccupied pedestrians.

In a matter of moments Tali had reached the edge of the concourse, reigning in the urge to immediately abandon it entirely and head down one of the offshoots. _Not yet._ She told herself. _Too obvious, wait for the right moment. _It came only a few yards later when a heavyset human and his much slimmer female escort turned slowly into one of the more brightly lit streets, loudly discussing the poor quality of service they had received at their choice of restaurant for the night. Tali had no difficulty slipping just ahead of them and mirroring their turnoff, making sure to keep the pair between herself and anyone who might be watching from further behind. She kept pace with the pair for as long as she dared, eventually moving forward as the concave corner of a residential building blocked much of the concourse from view. The quarian paid the human's scowls no mind, quickly leaving the pair behind as she progressed further into the maze of narrow streets.

The towering buildings hid much of Illium's natural light from the streets and at this hour many of the residential tower blocks were almost completely dark with only a few scattered lights hinting at life within their rooms. Even the street lighting seemed cold and dim, as though somehow powered by a different kind of energy to that which infected the proud neon of the concourse. Though normally not keen on the darkness Tali was grateful for it then, knowing she needed every advantage she could find to use against her followers. Coming to the end of the roughly-surfaced street Tali paused as far away from the lights of the intersection as she could manage without making it look obvious. The machinist was about to look back and see if she'd been lucky enough to lose her turian stalkers when an idea struck her. Her Omni-Tool popped into existence immediately and after some rapid tweaking of her suit's VI, Tali's visor flared with a green haze that made her eyes blink at the sudden brightness. Within seconds the mass of green static settled down with bright artificial lines mapping out her vision and outlining every object within view, filling those with thermal signatures with a soft green pulse and detailed if constantly shifting outlines that allowed Tali to pick out facial features amongst the aliens walking past, each oblivious to the quarian's use of the advanced thermal vision.

Still shrouded in as much darkness as she could manage, Tali looked back down the street she'd just walked up. The heavyset human and his companion were still plodding their way up and an asari had just left one of the apartment blocks dressed in simple dockworker fatigues. Aside from that the street appeared empty and Tali was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the distinctive outline of a turian suddenly rounded the corner. Moving at a light sprint the man appeared to be examining the street himself and when he looked towards the end of it he abruptly slowed to a walk, a communicator on his right wrist flaring into life. Tali hadn't needed to see the stiff outline of the casual jacket to identify the turian who'd spoken to the bartender and she muttered a brief curse to herself. Apparently she'd done a better job of losing her tail than she'd thought. _Why didn't I just keep moving?_ Annoyed at her own poor judgement and the knowledge that her position was undoubtedly being relayed to the second man, Tali slipped off to her left, abandoning her fast walk in favour of a quick jog through the quiet streets. A few more intersections went by before she slipped around one of the wiry saplings that occupied the centre of the pedestrian plaza and headed off to the north, sharp ears picking up an increase in the volume of noise from one of the nearby streets. She could feel the turian's eyes boring into her back as she moved deeper into the maze, bringing her Omni-Tool up to disable the thermal vision as a small but rowdy nightclub came into view. The wall of pulsing music hit her even at the end of the street and a few figures in the small crowd outside were already lost in it, dominating the narrow walkway as they danced furiously in time to the heavy beat, spurred on by the cheers of the onlookers.

Tali approached the group as quickly as she dared, hoping her distinctive envirosuit would go unnoticed amongst the crowd of revellers. Instinct told her that this bar wasn't as particular as the one she'd been in earlier but Tali understood that she didn't know enough about the local attitude to quarians to gamble on it. _If I can just get in among the crowd for a few moments it might buy me the time I need to get myself out of this mess_. Reaching the outskirts of the circle that had formed around the dancers Tali took a few steps inside, her small stature allowing her to slip in almost unnoticed. She couldn't help a longing look at the dancers as she casually worked her way around the perimeter of the crowd. Dancing was held in high esteem aboard the flotilla and like many quarians Tali often practised it herself; she would have loved to study the strange alien styles if only she had the time. Tali ducked past a heavily bearded human, her progress slower than she'd have liked but the quarian knew that frantic pushing and shoving would only draw attention to her. Examining the environment at every break in the sea of heads around her Tali finally spotted an opportunity as she neared the opposite side of the ring.

A narrow alley ran down the side of the bar, poorly lit but devoid of life. A few scattered dumpsters were all that occupied it and it was only the old-fashioned chain link fence at the end that gave Tali pause. _I can make that._ She thought confidently and with a regretful look back at the captivated dancers she split from the group and darted into the alley, hoping the security guard on the main door wouldn't notice. Not waiting around in any case the pursued quarian sprinted the length of the alleyway in a matter of seconds, glad to finally be able to break into the run she'd been resisting since first discovering her followers. The layers of garbage crunched softly underfoot as Tali ran, the slimy surface of the ground bringing back vivid memories of her time on Omega. She reached the fence in moments, using her momentum to scale the first few feet of it immediately. Her shins banged against a small sign as she worked her way up but she paid the strange human lettering no mind. The metal mesh clattered loudly with every movement, filling her ears even over the incessant electronic thumping of the music.

Finally grasping the bar along the top of the fence Tali quickly hauled herself over, grateful that the envirosuits were designed to withstand the stresses of any number of small scrapes she might have received. Bending her knees to absorb the impact as she dropped down Tali quickly moved around the nearest corner and placed her back to the wall as she got her bearings. She'd ended up in a small courtyard of sorts, as dark and dingy as the alleyway she'd just left barring a single orange light that sputtered atop the single back door leading into the bar. Oddly it was unguarded but Tali thought nothing of it then, her attention focused on finding another way out of the area knowing that even if her deception had worked, the turians wouldn't be fooled for long. Tali resisted the urge to look back down the alley, instead joggling lightly across the open ground towards another back street, this one better lit than the one she'd just made her way down.

The shadows felt oppressive as the quarian moved, the entire courtyard mired in a darkness that left her struggling to make out what lay in front of her. She recognized an assortment of dumpsters, empty supply boxes and even an old aircar that had been torn apart for spares and was just beginning to consider activating her thermal vision again when a low growl rumbled through her auditory sensors. She froze immediately, wondering if the noise had been some trick of her imagination, if the music had jumped up in pitch and she'd misheard it. Then the sound came again; dark, malevolent and definitely more organic than the heavy artificial bass could ever hope to mimic. Tali turned slowly to face right, muscles taught with tension, sweat trickling down her forehead as her heart thumped wildly within her chest. There, in the darkness. A pair of sinister amber eyes glowered at her from the gloom. The tips of oversized fangs glinted at her as the creature stepped further into view, sliver-grey forelegs drawing it soundlessly across the ground. The hairs on the back of Tali's neck went rigid at the sight of the elongated snout that emerged, jaw line pitted with rows of predatory teeth. She stepped back slowly as the quadruped advanced, a row of thin spines along its darkened back standing erect in warning. Tali circled slowly around to her left, never once breaking eye contact with the waist high beast. Her breathing was shaky and her hands trembled with fear but the quarian ignored her feelings, completely focused on the animal's actions. She attempted to reach for her pistol but the deliberate growl from the gaping jaws warned her hands away. Instead the cornered girl steadily gave way under the creature's advances, watching and waiting for the opportune moment. A long rusted can suddenly broke the deadlock, skittering noisily across the ground as Tali's foot caught it mid-step. The pale orange eyes tracked it carefully, the animal cocking its head slightly as the object gently rolled to a halt. Then there was a second's stillness before the predator threw back its head and howled, the terrible wails filling the entire courtyard.

Tali bolted immediately, turning her back to the monster and running directly at the fence separating her from freedom. She ran faster than she'd ever ran in her life, faster than in the hallways of the _Rayya_, faster than through the warehouse when she went after the turian, faster even than her run for the escape shuttle when they were ambushed by Aria's mercenaries. Blood pulsed in her ears and she felt each thudding impact the animal made against the ground through the soles of her feet as adrenaline tore through her veins and propelled her on. The animal was snarling furiously now, angered that its prey was forcing it to give chase on a painfully empty belly, to use the last of its energy simply to feed. In the back of her mind Tali knew the noise had to be attracting the attention of the two turians. As she reached the chain-link fence the beleaguered quarian leapt up and latched her fingers onto the bar, hefting herself up with strength she didn't know she possessed. The girl scrabbled desperately for grip with every limb as she climbed, managing to get one leg over the top before the enraged animal crashed into the fence with a roar. The impact made the fence buckle and nearly dislodge her and Tali had little time to reaffirm her grip before the beast raised itself up on its hind legs and snapped at her with its mighty jaws. The quarian pulled her leg up just in time, narrowly avoiding losing her foot as the fanged mouth slammed shut with an audible snap. She cried out in a mixture of panic and shock, feeling something give on the sole of her foot as the tip of the animal's massive canines grazed against it. It was about to lunge at her again when Tali finally dragged her other leg over, falling in a crumpled heap on the other side of the fence. The reptilian being gnashed its teeth in rage at her escape, snarling and throwing itself brutally against the fence as Tali scrambled away in terror.

Heart hammering the shaking engineer hauled herself to her feet and set off down the alley, flinching as another wailing howl accosted her ears. Tali'd managed just a few steps before the adrenaline began to fade and the cold clamminess of her skin under the suit became apparent. It was then that she noticed the highlight on her suit's VI, a tear in the atmosphere preserving materials present where the monster had grazed her foot. Tali immediately withdrew a small repair kit from the pockets of her envirosuit, instincts ingrained from constant practise quelling her emotions and absorbing her attention completely. Placing her back to the wall Tali raised her leg, supporting it on her opposite knee as she examined the damage. Fortunately it was minor, a jagged rip in the suit's protective lining with no harm to the skin underneath. Tali couldn't resist running her thumb against the exposed flesh briefly, savouring the sensation of fresh, if contaminated, air gently brushing against it before common sense took over. The small canister of sealing fluid was at the top of the repair kit, the most commonly used item and Tali quickly sprayed over the hole, watching the gel-like substance thicken and harden before her eyes in a matter of seconds. The suit VI had no sooner acknowledged the fresh seal before directing a flood of anti-bodies to the localised area and administering a shot of boosters to the quarian's immune system. Tali dropped her foot down and slipped the kit back into her pocket, unable to help a shiver at the lingering howls of the creature behind her. Hoping that she'd caught the damage early enough to prevent a fever Tali gently tested the seal on her foot. Satisfied the patch job would hold she jogged away down the back-street, refusing to look back at the ravenous beast she was leaving behind.

The howls faded as Tali reached the main streets, granting her the ability to think once more as she kept up a steady pace. The streets had grown quiet and were littered with scattered light sources that threw eerie shadows across the walls. Tali sought to blend in with them, keeping to the sides of the buildings as much as she could. She turned right at the next intersection, hoping to throw off the turians by heading back to the main concourse. Her hope was that the pair would get held up by the crazed monster she'd awakened but she knew she had to act on the possibility that they may have split up to cut her off. To Tali's horror she proved herself correct when at the end of the next street she hesitated and glanced back at the road leading to the club.

The turian must have seen her in the same moment, his dark outline coming to an abrupt halt just before he moved down the road she'd just come up. Tali didn't even wait to see the communicator flare into life. She broke into a dead run, feet pounding against the fabricated surface. Tali reached the nearest corner and dove down it, doing her best to control her breathing as she ran. _Forget the weapons training, I should have been working on my fitness._ It took everything she had in her not to run down the next road, instead exposing herself for a few seconds more by letting the intersection pass before disappearing down the second. Tali didn't see anything when she looked back this time. _Please let them be losing ground, I don't think I've got much left to use._ The quarian could spot the subtle differences beginning to form the more streets she ran down, the way the paths became brighter and the gritty patterns on the walls began to give way to those that gleamed with fresh paint.

It was clear Tali was heading into a better class of residential homes, though at this time of night the streets were no busier. She tried to work her way back into the poorer district as best she could, knowing that the darkness would give her a better chance at avoiding her pursuers. _I can't rely on it forever though,_ she realised, _stay in the same area too long and they will find me it's just a matter of when._ Briefly at a loss for what to do, her mind went back to the _Rayya_ and the sanctuary she'd found by hiding in the service hatch. Suddenly inspired Tali began moving with purpose, her eyes roving left and right as she made her way down a side street. A power conduit at the base of one of the apartment buildings caught her attention for a moment before she dismissed it, but a second thought drew her back. _Have I even got time for this?_ A familiar Omni-Tool flared to life. _How can I not?_ Within moments she'd breached the paltry security firewalls and had full control of the power to the entire building. The engineer didn't stop there. A few tweaks later she had access to power for the entire district and promptly hit the kill switch. Her heart thumped with nervous anticipation before the brief time-lag passed and the entire row of orange streetlights sputtered and died as each and every room inside the nearby buildings went dark. Even from outside, Tali could make out the sharp cries of the inhabitants indoors as countless terminals, lights and household appliances abruptly shut down.

Guilty over her actions but in too much of a hurry to dwell on it Tali quickly fired up her thermal vision and exited the side street , working her way back towards the concourse once more. She put another two streets between herself and the power unit she'd hacked before she spotted the outline of a large dumpster in one of the side streets, its grimy base surrounded with the scattered refuse of those living nearby. Initially put off by the stench Tali re-considered when she realised that this was the best option she'd seen so far. An angry shout that reached her with surprising clarity made up her mind and, wrinkling her nose, the quarian slipped into the shadows behind it. Garbage crinkled underfoot as she crouched down in the darkness and Tali could only hope the seal on her foot would hold. She'd be infected with more viruses than she'd care to count if the patch gave way here.

Now that she'd stopped running Tali realised just how much the run through the maze of streets had taken out of her. Calves burned and thighs screamed in agony every time she adjusted her uncomfortable position whilst a dry mouth and shortness of breath made it difficult to get the necessary oxygen into her lungs. Even as she rested her head against the wall the ragged quarian felt a wave of dizziness that made her vision swim and she again cursed her decision to spend the evening drinking. Her body was covered in so much sweat she began to wonder if this was what rain felt like. Another shout sent her body's concerns to the recesses of her mind, the harsh echoes of the speaker's shouts far closer this time. It wasn't enough for her to make out the words but her sharp ears caught a quieter response. It could have been disgruntled homeowners, airing their frustrations about the sudden power cut but inwardly, Tali knew better. Suddenly controlling her breathing wasn't all that hard anymore, though resisting the desire to lean forward and catch a glimpse of the main street proved just as challenging. Tense seconds gave way to tenser minutes before she heard the voices again, now so close that she could easily listen in on their fevered mutterings.

"I'm telling you," said the first voice, "she came this way!"  
"Yes and where is she now Tarkuss?" Demanded the second. "Halfway to Palaven no doubt."  
Tali's blood froze at the sound of the distinctive turian flanging. _They're here!_ _Keelah they're here!  
_"Don't mock me Jarin," replied Tarkuss darkly, "if she gets away this'll be on your head. I could have taken her at any time if you weren't so damn insistent that we both make the catch."  
"Try getting held up by a bloodthirsty varren yourself sometime." Was Jarin's dry response. "We'd gotten too far apart by then, needed to regroup. I saw the files, the kind of stunts she pulled on Omega. She'd have had something ready if you got to her alone."  
"I could have handled her," growled Tarkuss, "right up until she turned out the lights. Sly bitch. I tell you Jarin, this is on your head."  
"This argument gets us nowhere." Muttered his partner. "We'll have to split up if we want to stand a chance of finding her now. She's been splitting off into other streets regularly. I'll take the north side, you take the south." Without waiting for a response a pair of footsteps headed north at a smart pace, the sound fading rapidly into the distance.  
Tali waited with baited breath, not daring to move no matter how much her muscles cried out from cramp.  
"All that whining and _now_ he wants us to go after her alone. Spirits." Tarkuss spat before spinning on his heel and moving south, the sound of his departure the most blessed thing Tali had heard all night.

Time passed slowly as Tali waited, letting the two men build up a space before she attempted to move through the streets again. She stood up to flex her now numb legs and almost pitched face-first into the garbage when they buckled under her. Hands wrapped around the grimy lid of the dumpster as Tali fought to steady herself. The blood was slowly returning to her lower limbs but right then they felt as though they didn't belong to her. Grateful that the turians hadn't been able to catch her in such a helpless state Tali waited in silence for her body to rectify itself, her mind wandering back to childhood once more.

* * *

The young Tali'Zorah had busied herself with her new Omni-Tool while she waited for the narrow corridor to clear of passing quarians. It wasn't a busy part of the ship and within moments it had emptied as people went about their business with scarcely a second glance at the young girl. Knowing all the weak spots of the service hatch Tali pried it open in seconds, slipping into the small maintenance tunnel inside and gently lifting the hatch back into place behind her, taking care to leave it slightly ajar. It was there, bathed in the gentle vermillion glow of the artificial lighting that Tali had crept in amongst the strange machines and drawn her knees up to her chin, hugging them close to her. The tears that she'd been holding back for so long began to fall almost immediately. How could father have sent her away like that, when mother lay so still and quiet and wouldn't talk, no matter how much Tali begged? She was angry with her father for telling everyone to go, angry with auntie Raan who tried to take her away and scared, scared of the strange doctors whose heads twitched with stress and whose shoulders sloped with sadness.

Time passed and eventually Tali's sniffling subsided and the only sound within the maintenance tunnel became the steady, soothing hum of the ancient machinery that surrounded her. Her childlike mind began to grow curious the longer she stared at the worn panels and strange, grubby optical displays that glowed with data she couldn't begin to understand. Slowly, as her emotions began to give in to curiosity, Tali began to examine the mystifying machines. Purple fingers roved across surfaces formed from ancient metals, tracing the joint lines of the panelling. Before long her sharp eyes and mind began to make sense of the data and as her familiarity grew, so too did her boldness. Working out that the nearest machine helped regulate the air within this section of the liveship, Tali began cautiously examining the various information displays, surprised to find the machine was operating at a slightly lower capacity than normal. Before the voice at the back of her mind could talk her out of it, the young girl quickly tweaked the unit's connection to the central regulator, bringing the airflow back into line.

Suppressing a grin at her success, Tali moved back from the console, her earlier distress completely forgotten. Then it all came rushing back when she heard the gentle humming from the other side of the service hatch and she stared at it in horror as a pair of gloved fingers reached in and began lifting it to one side. In a panic Tali scuttled backwards on all fours, slipping into a small, darkened alcove between two of the machines. She pulled her legs up into the darkness, silvery eyes peeping out over her knees. The humming stopped abruptly as the service panel lifted away. "Right, which moron forgot to wire the panel back down when he finished?" The gruff and heavily accented voice wasn't one Tali recognized so she put aside the wild notions of auntie Raan's ship-wide search parties, at least for now. Instead she held her breath as the man climbed inside the tight space, glimpses of his olive green envirosuit occasionally visible through the gaps in the machinery.

The intruder lifted the panel back into place behind him, his steady hum returning once again. Tali recognized the melody; it was something her father used to sing back when he wasn't so unhappy, a military song he had called it. The man she was hiding from obviously knew it well, the steady rhythm never faltering. Tali watched with fearful eyes as he moved directly to the atmosphere regulator, setting a small toolbox down beside it. Forced to settle down on his knees due to the lack of height in the confined space the man lifted his eyes to the display in front of him and immediately pulled back from the console. "Eh?" Tali's heart began to pound so fast she felt it might burst. Confusion evident in his every movement the quarian lifted his hand and slowly worked through the screens, whistling through his teeth. "Well that makes about as much sense..." He abandoned the artificial display altogether, grabbing a weighty-looking tool from his box and shuffling around to the side of the unit. Tali drew back instinctively as the man moved closer and froze as her elbow scraped against the piping next to her. Had the man heard it? She couldn't see him anymore to guess so she strained her ears but couldn't hear him moving either.

"Who's there?"  
The challenge sent an uncontrollable shiver through the young girl and she could only imagine how much trouble she was going to be in. They were taught from birth that interfering with any equipment or machinery on the _Rayya_ was strictly forbidden. Her father would surely confine her to her cabin for the rest of her life when he found out. _Maybe he'll think it was something outside_. Tali seized onto the false hope, remaining as still as she could.  
"C'mon," coaxed the man, "I ain't gonna eat you."  
Reluctantly accepting that the she'd been found out, Tali slowly crept out from her hiding place, her eyes fixed firmly on her feet.  
"Well now," said the man as he looked her over, "an' what's a little lass like you doing creeping around in my service tunnels?"  
_His service tunnels?_ Tali felt a surge of panic. _Keelah he's probably the chief engineer!_ Frantic excuses tumbled from her lips. "I-I wasn't creeping I was-"  
The man suddenly got to his feet, cutting her off mid-sentence. Tali shrank back reflexively, expecting to be manhandled out of the maintenance tunnel and straight into the hands of the nearest guard but instead the engineer just sat down with his back to the unit, spreading his legs out comfortably. "Probably playing hide n' seek weren't ya? You look pretty harmless to me, not like the creeping sort."  
Tali nodded her head slowly. "I was...hiding." She didn't need to say who from, did she?  
The engineer seemed to accept this and gestured to the opposite wall. "Well, grab yerself a seat. Don't mind me, I'm about due for a break anyways."  
The young girl unwillingly sat across from the man, who eyed her steadily.  
Abruptly, he shot his hand out making her flinch. "I'm Bardi, Bardi'Reska vas Rayya."  
Tali cautiously took hold of his hand, the stained surface of his palm dwarfing her own. "I'm-" she faltered, realising the moment she gave her name, the man would be able to report her to her father.  
The quarian known as Bardi quickly caught on, a twinkle appearing in his eye as he gently shook her hand. "Nice to meet ya, Please'Dontell."  
Tali looked up at him for the first time and was met with a playful wink that instantly calmed her many fears.

"So," said Bardi as the silence began to stretch, "don't suppose you know how this atmospheric regulator managed to fix itself do ya?"  
Looking up from her toes for the first time in five minutes, Tali tried her best to act surprised. "Is that what it is?"  
"Yup!" He answered cheerily. "It helps maintain the pressure and O2 levels in this part of the ship, we've got it rigged up to the uh...the..." He hesitated, seemingly struggling to recall a part of his explanation.  
"Central regulator down on the engineering deck." Replied Tali. Then she clamped a hand over her mouth as she realised what she'd done.  
Bardi chuckled softly to himself. "I had a feelin' you knew more than you were lettin' on. Someone dare you to do it?"  
"No!" The indignant denial was out before she could stop it. "I...just saw that it wasn't right and I made it better. That's all."  
The engineer nodded slowly to himself. "That's pretty smart of ya, figuring that out. You been messing with my ship before?"  
Tali shook her head emphatically. "No sir, I just saw that it was bad and I fixed it. I've never touched anything before, I didn't know you were coming to fix it!"  
Bardi held up a placating and before getting to his feet with a groan. "Well it's a good thing I came along 'cause you've not done the job good an' proper yet lass."  
The young girl followed him with her eyes as he turned back to the regulator, suddenly resentful. "What do you mean? I know I fixed it!"  
"Oh you fixed it alright but you ain't made sure it's gonna stay that way for long." So saying Bardi removed a small side panel on the machine, gesturing for Tali to join him. "Y'see? Ya gotta re-calibrate the processing unit when you make a change like that, otherwise she'll just go right back to what she was doing the minute your back's turned."  
Tali eyed the circuitry with interest, standing on tip-toe to see over the man's shoulder. "How did you do that?"  
"That's simple stuff lass, here, lemme show ya..."

Before Tali knew it, almost an hour had passed within that cramped maintenance tunnel and once Bardi had got her discussing the inner workings of the liveship's ancient machinery she hadn't stopped plaguing him with questions. Finally the chief engineer had called a halt to their work, satisfied that the job was done much more efficiently than he'd expected. Tali was disappointed to hear him say it, her curiosity not yet sated, but her mind buzzed with new information, the earlier misery of the day long forgotten. They stepped out of the service hatch together, Bardi bringing up the rear with his toolbox. He straightened his back with a soft crick, sighing in relief at the easing tension. "Ahh...I like my work and all, but it always feels good to get out of a service shaft."  
Tali watched in silence as he turned and affixed the service hatch to the bulkhead once more, making sure to secure it firmly. The young girl felt aggrieved. Bardi couldn't knowingly let her continue to use the hidey-hole and she couldn't hold it against her new friend for following regulations, but he had also robbed her of a sanctuary that had taken her months to find. She watched him, struggling with a mixture of feelings she wasn't quite sure what to do with.  
Affixing the last of the seals into place the chief engineer turned to pick up his toolbox again. "Well lass, I reckon it's time you be heading back to your folks now. I'm willin' to bet I'm not the only one with chores."  
With her mother in the sickbay Tali hadn't, but she didn't argue. "Thanks," she began awkwardly, "for teaching me all that stuff. And, for not telling." She added in a hushed tone, hoping no one was around to overhear.  
"Ah ya don't have to thank me lass, it's nice to see kids taking an interest." He twirled a servo-wrench at her in his free hand, that same twinkle in his eye present once more. "I'll be seeing ya about, Please'Dontell." With that the engineer dipped his head respectfully and strode off down the halls of the great liveships, a familiar hum accompanying his every step.

* * *

Tali smiled lightly at the memory. Her encounter with Bardi had helped get her through the shock of her mother's death and her father's subsequent burial in his work over the next few days. It had also lit a flame inside the young quarian and within a week she had been accepted for an apprenticeship with the _Rayya's_ engineering crew. Bardi had immediately taken her under his wing and the pair had been almost inseparable ever since. Tali could almost hear her old mentor now. _"Hiding in the dark again lass? Ain't you worked out a better way to make friends yet?" _Gently testing her legs again Tali found she could at least move the tired limbs without them feeling like they didn't belong to her. Instead she found herself wincing at the aching muscles as feeling returned but quickly decided it was the lesser of two evils. _At least I can control where I'm going this time. _Thequarian raised herself up unsteadily and carefully made her way to the alley's exit. She was about to poke her head out into the street and make sure the turians were definitely gone when a piercing siren filled the night air, swiftly accompanied by two more. Tali froze immediately and glanced upwards at the skylanes as the first police aircar came into view, swooping down into the darkened residential labyrinth in a blaze of flashing lights.

Tali felt a mixture of concern and relief at the authorities' arrival. On the one hand they would be looking for the person who'd caused the power outage and Tali knew that if they found an armed quarian in the area without any permits or immigration records, she'd be their first suspect. On the other hand-  
"_Krit_."  
If Tali could have gone any more rigid at softly spoken turian curse, she'd have shattered into fragments from the strain.  
A soft orange glow hovered around the lip of the alleyway; if Tali'd been but one step closer the artificial light would have been dancing across the front of her suit.  
"Jarin? Yeah, I saw it too. Girl's too smart for her own good."  
Tarkuss sniffed as he listened to his partner's response.  
"I hope you've got an excuse ready for him. We go back without her we won't last the week."  
The turian began to pace, impatient footsteps seeming to echo all around the petrified quarian whose hand slipped slowly towards her pistol, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.  
Tarkuss halted a moment later, blowing a sigh from his nostrils. "Fine. Meet you at the RV. Just make it quick, I don't want to be having run-ins with the officials this far from home."  
The potentially deadly light disappeared as quickly as it had come and again the alley rang with the sound of retreating footsteps as Tarkuss fled.

Tali'Zorah remained still, silently counting down from 70 before stepping out into the street, glancing left and right for any signs of her pursuers. Tarkuss had long since disappeared from view and she guessed that Jarin had likely taken a different route back to his companion. _Hopefully that leaves me with a straight route out of this maze. _Another shrieking siren drew her eyes to the fourth patrol car to enter the area. _And the sooner I get away from you the better. _Estimating that she wasn't far from the concourse by now Tali began moving through the streets again, keeping her pace down to a fast but inconspicuous walk. The quarian refused to let her guard down, knowing that her trackers could be moving down the same streets at any moment. Her vigilance didn't falter even when she came within sight of the open concourse again and joined the crowds there. The thinner numbers made Tali pause to take a look at her chronometer and she was astonished to find she'd been on the run for just over an hour since first stepping out of the bar.

Crossing the thoroughfare as nonchalantly as she could and trying to ignore the buzz of conversation about the oddly dark residential area she'd just left behind, Tali made her way into the much more expansive shipyards. Though the docking complexes were never silent the engineer had little difficulty making her way through the wide open industrial track ways, remembering well Krovak Torr's lessons as she moved confidently past dozens of uniformed night workers. She eyed them cautiously from behind the tinted glass of her faceplate as she walked, suddenly suspicious of everyone on this alien world. If the night's events had taught her anything it was that Illium was not safe. Even if the turians were the only ones looking for her, and she'd still yet to discern why, quarians didn't exactly blend in outside the fleet and she knew it wouldn't take them long to pick up her trail again. They'd managed it well enough already once she'd arrived on-planet. _I've got to go._ Tali realised. _Get off-world and disappear._ It'd have to be unofficial travel if she wanted to leave as few traces behind as possible but the pressing question was where would she go? The quarian thought back to her unscheduled arrival on Omega, the way Ren had provided them with a solution. She found herself wishing he was here to guide her now, or even Krovak Torr with his overprotective guidance. It was as Tali pictured her fallen friend that a deep, baritone voice suddenly spoke from her memories. "I think you'd find the Wards to be right up your alley...lots of action...always a C-Sec officer two feet away."

Tali paused against the rusty walls of a massive warehouse, gazing down the quiet street but not really taking in the scattered groups of aliens that wandered about. _The Citadel. Can I make it all the way out there? _They'd never discussed it at length but Torr had certainly given her the impression that it was one of the safest places in the galaxy. Tali couldn't deny the excitement she felt at the prospect either. The opportunity to visit the galaxy's cultural hotspot was something she'd dreamed of for years and though the circumstances weren't ideal, she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. The sea of aircars whined endlessly above her head and Tali glanced up at the streams of traffic, abruptly coming to a decision. Activating her Omni-Tool she logged in to the local transportation network and set a beacon to transmit from her device. Within moments a taxi swept down from the skyways and the driver brought the craft to a gentle stop just off to the side of the track ways. The human driver popped the door for the quarian as she approached and offered a nod as she stepped inside. "Where to miss?"  
"What's the nearest public spaceport?" Tali asked, settling herself into the cheap synthetic leather seating.  
"That'd be Nos Loras," the man responded easily, "'bout ten minutes ride from here."  
"Good enough for me."

The driver nodded again and turned his attention to his instruments. The aircar lurched slightly as it broke free of the surface and Tali's stomach seemed to sink briefly as they ascended back into the traffic lanes. The engineer took one last glance at the dockworker's district as it shrank far beneath her, the blacked-out residential district clearly visible from high above. _That's a big bigger than I'd planned._ The darkness seemed to stretch far into the distance, punctuated only by the occasional glimpse of flashing blue and red lights. Tali's fingers interlocked and began to twirl around each other slowly. She could only hope that they were leaving her turian stalkers far behind.


	35. Chapter 35: Agents

**Chapter 35 – Agents  
**"I told you this was going to be a bad job right from the start."  
"So why take it?" Jarin responded in a tone that implied it wasn't the first time he'd heard the complaint from his fellow mercenary. The turian was seated at a poorly maintained desk, the once stark-white of its factory standard surface now chipped and discoloured from years of use. He paid the damage little heed, his attention dedicated to the orange-hued terminal screen that dominated the desktop. A still image lay before him, the grainy screen populated by dozens of blurry figures, a mixture of aliens from countless worlds. Jarin studied it carefully for a moment before waving it away with the flick of a key, sliding another still along to take its place. A pair of yellow iris' focused in on the figures, narrowing in concentration as their owner leaned forward imperceptibly in his seat. Behind him Tarkuss was bent over a countertop in the tiny kitchen he occupied, the open plan design of the apartment they shared leaving him with his back to Jarin. Currently in the process of stripping the pair's weapons down for maintenance and struggling on account of the poor light from the overhead fixtures, the man had been a poor companion since they returned from their unsuccessful attempt to capture the quarian.  
"You saw the kind of credits he was offering," Tarkuss replied, "even _you_ couldn't pass them up."  
Jarin's mandibles tensed slightly. Whilst he didn't hold money in quite as high a regard as Tarkuss he had to concede, if only to himself, that his partner was correct. "We'll have earned them before the night is out." He remarked, the comment as much for his own reassurance as Tarkuss'.  
"We'd better, or it might be the last time either of us ever get near that kind of coin again."

As with all of Tarkuss' whining, Jarin let the complaint pass him by. Each man was well aware of the kind of stakes with which they played. Their instructions had been clear enough on that front: recover the data and exterminate the loose end. Both success and failure would be compensated for accordingly. Each man had worked for their employer long enough to fathom what that meant and Tarkuss' constant reminders served no other purpose than to build up stress levels between the two, something that Jarin had learnt to ignore long ago. All the same he found it difficult to focus on the newest image to fill his terminal, knowing that it would be only moments before his companion spoke again. He sighed inwardly when he was proven right.

"Would've been done by now if she'd left the _shekking_ data core on her ship." Tarkuss muttered.  
"Which would've been too easy." Said Jarin dismissively, his eyes lingering over the blurry form of a salarian for a moment before dismissing the lithe figure on his screen.  
Tarkuss cursed as a tool slipped from his grasp and clattered against the linoluem floor, the heavy metal leaving a solid dent in its wake. "Easy'd be nice for a change." He replied, the dark orange of his colony markings briefly appearing far paler in the dim light as he stooped to pick up the device.  
"And suspicious, given the money involved in this."  
Tarkuss paused before turning back to his half-disassembled assault rifle. "Fair point." He acquiesced, and then snorted to himself. "Still can't believe you managed to convince the volus yardmaster that we were with Immigration Control."  
"We had the proper documentation." Replied Jarin easily. "No reason for him to disbelieve us."  
"Yeah but he didn't even _try_ to stop us boarding that ship, much less scanning it. What kind of volus lets two officials ransack a ship he bought under the radar less than an hour before?"  
"A scared one." Jarin finally broke his gaze with the screen, blinking heavily to try to wash away the strain of staring at the digital display for so long. "One smart enough to understand how long the term plausible deniability applies." His right hand snaked up to rub his eye sockets, the rough surface of his fingers helping to prepare for the inevitable second bout with the myriad of images.  
A soft whirring filled the dingy apartment as Tarkuss set to work with a drill-like attachment, the noise not quite enough to drown out the sound of his voice, much to Jarin's displeasure. "You think he had chance to take it for himself?"  
Jarin shook his head slightly, even though his partner couldn't see the motion. "No. The quarian's too smart to have left it behind. She's still got it with her."  
Tarkuss hawked and spat into the grimy sink, drawing a sniff of disgust from the other turian that went unheeded. "Good for us that he'd sent one of his guys to follow her. What was it he said?  
'Never trust a suit-rat'?"  
"Something like that."

Jarin's reply indicated he hadn't heard much of Tarkuss' ramblings, his attention fixated once more on the terminal that took up his desk. His eyes protested at the demands he made of them as he scrolled through countless images of Illium's population, examining every character studiously before passing on. The back of his carapace ached continuously; the poorly designed asari chair offered little support to whatever posture he tried to adopt and he couldn't even afford to stretch out his legs, surrounded as he was by half a dozen capacitors, encoders and power units that were all wired into his terminal. Subconsciously he was aware of the emerging light behind the blinds of the window to his left, the gentle pink hue heralding the arrival of the morning sun. Jarin stolidly refused to buckle under the mounting pressure. He was too disciplined to let the approaching zero hour affect his performance.

By the time Tarkuss inevitably spoke again almost a quarter of an hour had passed, a near-miracle in Jarin's eyes. "How'd you think he found her so fast?"  
"Who?" Asked Jarin curtly.  
"The boss." Said Tarkuss as though his train of thought were visible to all. "We'd been on standby less than a day."  
"It's a _geth_ data core Tarkuss," was the condescending reply, "the flashheads would've known about it the moment it was stolen. The boss was probably told within minutes."  
"I know all that," Jarin's partner snapped, "but it still doesn't explain how quickly he worked out where the quarian was once she left whatever world the geth were hiding on."  
Jarin didn't care to admit that the thought had crossed his mind too, though to him the answer seemed readily apparent. "The Broker's involved." He said simply, leaving Tarkuss to work that one out for himself. It didn't take him long.  
"The Shadow Broker?"  
"There aren't many others."  
"What makes you say it was him?" Demanded Tarkuss. "Why not a tracker?"  
"If they'd planted one on her we'd never have been put on standby in the first place and you know as well as I do the Broker's got a lot of hooks here on Illium," replied Jarin, "how many other people do you know who can find a person that fast?"  
Tarkuss was quiet for a moment and when he spoke, it was very matter-of-fact. "Think the boss'd use him to find us if we balls this up?"  
"Doubt he'd need to." Was the equally down-to-earth response. "But if it came to that, yes."  
"We're _shekked_." Decided Tarkuss casually, turning back to put the finishing touches on his weapon re-assembly.  
"Only if we don't find get the data."  
"Yeah. Doing a great job of that so far."  
Jarin ignored the jibe, obstinately persevering with his task and discarding another two still images. How many more remained? It was a question her refused to dignify with an answer.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Tarkuss' dull grey eyes were apprehensive as he glanced toward the window. "Sun's coming up, boss is going to want a report soon."  
"I'm aware."  
"And I'm aware you didn't answer me." Tarkuss' voice dripped with condescension.  
A short blast of hot air exited Jarin's nostrils. "Will _what_ work?"  
Tarkuss slid the outer casing of the Tsunami V rifle back into place, re-engaging the clasps with a definitive click. "Spending hours looking through footage from street cameras that the quarian _might_ have walked past after we left. Footage that we're streaming from the authorities. Footage that probably has more chance of having a drell on it than the girl."  
"Saw one of those a while back." Jarin muttered to himself, listening as always with one ear to his partner's never-ending complaints.  
Tarkuss muttered a few choice curses under his breath, the fully-serviced rifle being placed alongside its twin and the pair of pistols that lay tucked in a corner. Abruptly left with nothing to occupy his hands the turian turned, watching Jarin's slow progress with increasing impatience before his lips parted once more. "You sure we can't get another terminal going?"  
Jarin's head moved from side to side. "We only have enough encoders for one and before you ask we already tried the Omni-Tool, the resolution's too small to pick a krogan out from the crowd, let alone our quarian."  
Tarkuss' brow narrowed and he strode towards the window, feet tramping heavily against carpets that were long since worn thin. A taloned hand pulled the blinds back, momentarily flooding the drab beige walls with a glossy sheen before Tarkuss let them fall back into position.  
"Your distractions aren't helping." Jarin remarked quietly, his eyes still on his screen.  
The other mercenary shot him a look that said he didn't care. "It doesn't help when I'm half-expecting to have two dozen cops start hammering the door down any minute."  
"That's what you're worried about?" The military man looked up for the first time, a flicker of genuine surprise passing across his features. "I already told you, my source with the law won't let that happen."  
"And how much do you trust him?" Tarkuss snapped, his temper beginning to fray at his partner's unflappable attitude. "That little stunt the quarian pulled with the power grid last night has got to have put the cyber warfare teams on edge."  
"Ulara's _in_ cyber warfare," Jarin replied coolly, "she's reliable. So long as we keep putting credits in her pocket at least."  
Spotting something back in the kitchen that had slipped from his mind, Tarkuss immediately brightened and walked back across the room, though he couldn't help a sarcastic parting shot. "Ulara huh? That another of your asari conquests?"  
Jarin didn't respond, refusing to be baited. Instead, and not for the first time that day, he began to wonder why he hadn't yet fractured his cohort's jaw.

The sound of a seal being broken made Jarin turn his head. Tarkuss leant with his back against the counter, mimicking the pose he'd taken up in the bar where they'd first found their quarry hiding.  
"You're drinking." The statement smacked of incredulity.  
"Damn straight, helps me think better. And if we _shek_ this up, least I won't care as much when we die." Catching the look Jarin gave him, Tarkuss rolled his eyes in disregard. "Relax will you? I'm not having enough to get wasted; don't think you could manage it on this stuff anyway."  
Deciding not to get drawn into a discussion the pair had had many times before Jarin simply shook his head and returned his attention to the terminal. "How you survived your service is beyond me."  
Tarkuss laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound. "'cause I got out before I wound up like you, you miserable _bashak_."  
Despite himself, Jarin found a taut smile had worked its way onto his lips. "Never could resist the smell of money could you?"  
Tarkuss' response was delayed as he helped himself to a swig of the cheap dextro-amino beer, the lukewarm liquid working moisture back into his throat. "Merc work pays a damn site better than the military ever did. Besides, everyone does their bit which means it makes for boring bar talk. Girls prefer to hear about the kind of adventures a merc in far-off worlds can get up to."  
"Shame you never capitalized on that."  
Unseen behind him, Tarkuss casually touched the tips of each forefinger together in an apex and offered the old turian insult to Jarin's back.

The second man didn't even need to turn to know the taunt was being offered. He knew Tarkuss well enough to be almost disappointed if he hadn't performed the gesture. His mind wandered briefly, thinking back on the near-decade the pair had spent working together. They may have had their share of clashes from time to time, but they had also been through too much together to let simple things like clashing personalities to get in the way. In some respects, for all his grumbling, Jarin would sooner have Tarkuss at his side than any woman. He lifted his finger to move the next screen along and then froze an inch over the holographic key. His eyes widened briefly, then narrowed as he squinted at the image. Mandibles at either side of his jaw twitched with scepticism. "Tarkuss."  
"What the _shek_ do you want now?"  
"Come look at this."  
Sighing loudly the mercenary slammed his half-drained can down on the countertop and moved to join him. "What?"  
"Look up there, top left."  
Tarkuss leant over the chair, the stale stench of his breath filling Jarin's lungs and making his stomach lurch in protest. "I don't see..." His voice trailed away and Jarin felt the subtle shifting of the torturous chair as his partner leaned in slightly closer. "Well," he remarked after a moment, "_shek_ me."  
"You see her too." It was more statement than question.  
Tarkuss nodded. "Spirits you've got good eyes, how the hell'd you spot her?"  
Jarin shifted in his seat, dislodging the other turian and bringing the terminal back under his control. "Luck." He admitted. "If she'd hadn't been just below the menu arrow I might never have noticed her."  
Tarkuss perched himself on the armrest of the apartment's singular grotty couch, his eyes suddenly alight with enthusiasm. "Well? Run the images, she's got to be on some of the others in that area."  
"That's what I'm doing," replied Jarin tersely, "looks like she doubled back to the concourse after we left. Question is," he mused to himself, "where'd she go from there?"

The minutes began to tick slowly by as Jarin steadily tracked the quarian's movements across the city's security camera network. Tarkuss began to pace, needing to rid himself of the nervous energy though as time passed his attention began to wane and his pacing eventually stopped against the box of lukewarm beer. He finished the remains of the first and was just about to pop the seal on a second, thoroughly undeserved self-congratulatory drink when Jarin spoke again.  
"Dammit."  
Tarkuss' spirits immediately sagged, along with the hand holding his can of beer. "Now what?"  
"Looks like she got into a cab." Jarin replied, fiddling with the terminal to enhance the image.  
"So?" Replied Tarkuss. "That'll make her easier to follow. Won't be the first time we've done it."  
"If we can get access to the cab records." Jarin replied, his voice strained as his mind worked to come up with a solution.  
Annoyingly, Tarkuss didn't even hesitate. "What's the cab company's keyword?"  
Jarin flicked back a couple of images. "Radiance Tourism."  
The turian scoffed. "With a name like that it's gotta be an asari business. Heh, that'll make it easy."  
Jarin couldn't resist the opportunity to irk Tarkuss for a change. "With your track record maybe I should be making the call."  
"_Shek_ you." Replied Tarkuss, activating his Omni-Tool's communicator. The device pulsed brightly for a few seconds before a steady orange glow and a recognizably asari voice in Tarkuss' ear signified a stable connection.  
"Good morning, Radiance Tourism, how can I help you?"  
"Morning," said Tarkuss, his voice taking on a distinctively gruff tone, "look I've got somethin' I need to discuss, you got a supervisor I can talk ta?"  
There was the briefest of pauses on the other end of the line before the asari spoke again, the polite routine replaced by cautious suspicion. "May I ask your name and what it's regarding sir?"  
Tarkuss sighed heavily, dipping his head to pinch the bridge of his nose with his free hand for unnecessary emphasis. "Ah, it's too early in the morning for this crap."  
"I'm sorry sir?"  
The turian raised his head, making sure his slow intake of breath could be heard over the voice receptor. "Sorry sweetheart, been a long night. I'm Detective Costra with Illium Law Enforcement, I need to speak ta a supervisor about a possible suspect in a crime that took place last night."  
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise." Said the asari, her apology mixed with what Tarkuss guessed to be professionalism and sympathy. "Just bear with me a moment sir and I'll get my manager on the line."  
"Thanks hon."

The line filled with the same repetitive, jaunty tune that Tarkuss had heard in an elevator not two days ago, though this time the music went unheeded. He made eye contact with Jarin for the first time since he'd initiated the conversation and offered a confident wink. "How's my 'been up all night, don't wanna be here' voice doing?"  
Jarin, who had been listening silently over the Omni-Tool's inbuilt speakers, merely shook his head. "I just hope you know what you're doing."  
Tarkuss scowled. "'Course I- Hello, yeah, Detective Costra here." The scowl fell from his face instantly, his features sloping as he got back into character.  
This new, huskier voice sounded even more dubious than the first, her clipped tones a result of clear impatience. "You say you're a detective?"  
"That's right," replied 'Costra', "ID number's J11-F54-O97 if you wanna check it up."  
Jarin's eyes narrowed but Tarkuss waved his silent rebuke down. It was a gamble he knew, but he could hear the stress in the asari's voice and guessed that she just didn't have the time. He was proved correct when she offered no resistance. "I doubt that'll be necessary, we don't get many whack calls from people claiming to be cops. So, what do you want Mr...Costra, was it?"  
"That's me, yeah. Look, I can tell you're busy so I'll keep this short. We had a power cut to a residential district late last night, out by the docklands in Nos Carsa. Normally it's not the kind of thing I'd get called ta but we've got some footage showing someone tamperin' with a power conduit just 'afore the lights went dark. We've been trackin' the suspect's movements and we think they got into one of your company's cabs about an hour after we lost the grid." Tarkuss had been pacing as he spoke and now came to a stop, leaning back against the wall. "I could do with finding out who was driving that cab and where he ended up dropping the suspect off, should save me a lot of hassle."

The asari had listened in silence, absorbing the information as Tarkuss detailed the incident for her. She paused for a moment after he'd finished and the turian could just make out her orders for someone to vacate their chair. "Right, just give me a minute to pull up last night's rosters. Do you know what time it was when your guy got into the cab?"  
Tarkuss shot a pointed look at Jarin who quick spun in his chair, fingers working furiously to bring up the image timestamp. "Approximately 23:48." Tarkuss answered. "Look like she was picked up in an industrial area just across from the residential district, probably the dockyards themselves by the looks."  
"She huh?" Said the asari, though it didn't sound like she was expecting a response and Tarkuss didn't offer her one. "I'm just going through the logs now...looks like I had two drivers in that area around that time." She muttered something under her breath that Tarkuss took to be an asari curse. "Jena! Drop what you're doing and pull up the passenger footage for cabs 23 & 65 for me, around the 23:50 bracket."  
Tarkuss, who had pulled the receiver away from his ear slightly at the supervisor's shout, pulled it back again to catch the tail end of the asari's apology.  
"-ry about that, you're going to have to bear with us for a minute detective. I've got no way of knowing who picked up the fare so we're having to use the interior cameras to identify who got inside. You say this suspect of yours was a woman?"  
"Yeah," replied Tarkuss, "A quarian truth be told."  
The asari made a derisive snort. "Ha! Well if that's the case who's really surprised?"  
The turian's thin lips formed into a knowing smile. "I said the same ta one of the boys earlier, can't trust the suit-rats to sweep up the trash."  
"Tell me about it," confided the supervisor, "one of the managers here made the mistake of setting one on a few years back. Less than a week later we found out someone had been skimming credits from the company accounts. Stopped happening the minute we fired him."  
And there it was, the icebreaker that Tarkuss had been waiting for. With something common to discuss the supervisor would be freer with her words now, subconsciously happier to trust the detective. Still, he couldn't afford to let her fall back into her professional demeanour. "I could tell ya some stories about the ones I've arrested over the years..."  
He heard the subtle creaking as the asari shifted in her seat. "Goddess willing we might be able to help you make another one tonight Mr. Costra. Jena! Where's my footage?"  
Tarkuss heard the supervisor stand and remained silent, waiting patiently as she crossed the room and by the sounds of it, stopped before another terminal.  
"Got you." She muttered triumphantly before raising her voice again. "We've found your suspect detective, looks like she got into Franco's cab and rode it all the way to the spaceport in Nos Loras, got dropped off pretty much on the hour. I can't tell you where she went from there but hopefully that's enough for you to work on."  
"It sure is," 'Costra replied, "better than I'd hoped. You guys have been a big help sweetheart, I'll make sure ta tell the captain to send you somethin' nice."  
"Anytime detective." Replied the asari, pride replacing the irritation in her tone. "We'll put the footage into storage for you if you want to send someone to collect it. Good luck catching her; she looks like a shifty one."  
"We'll get her alright, don't you worry about that." Said Tarkuss, promptly severing the connection. With a relieved sigh he looked towards his partner who was already busy establishing a link with the spaceport's security hub.

"You get all that?"  
"Enough." Replied Jarin. "Impressive performance, wasn't expecting that trick to work again."  
Tarkuss chuckled knowingly. "It's not a hard sell; people will believe what they want to hear. Plus, you throw in a chance to make them feel like they assisted in solving a crime and most of 'em will be falling over themselves to help, even if it's just so they can brag to their friends."  
"Very astute. Didn't think you had it in you."  
"Yeah, yeah. How about you find our little bucket head instead of wasting time sniggering to yourself?"  
"I'm already pulling up the holocam footage." Said Jarin.  
"That again?" Tarkuss groaned. "There's got to be a faster way of doing things."  
"Not unless you want to ride all the way to the spaceport yourself and try to bluff the officials there into thinking you're a detective, hot on the heels of his quarry without a single shred of ID to prove his story. Yes, I can see that working just fine."  
"Wiseass."  
"It shouldn't take as long," Jarin continued as though he hadn't heard him, "not now that we've got a timezone to work with."

Sure enough the turian techie had that familiar purple suit up on screen within a quarter of an hour and both men sat down to study the recordings. The image quality on the spaceport cams was better, making Jarin's task of tracking the quarian's movements somewhat easier. The pair watched in relative silence, broken only by the occasional chewing as Tarkuss worked his way through a turian hotcake. On-screen, the girl's wanderings struck Jarin as being hesitant, purposeful perhaps, but ultimately unsure. "She doesn't know where she's going." He realised.  
"Course she _shekking_ doesn't, she's only been on planet two minutes." Tarkuss mumbled through a mouthful of food. "She's running scared, ten to one she heads for the first flight off-world."  
"No, she's smarter than that." Jarin leant forward and zoomed the camera as their quarry moved off into the distance, away from the busy public terminals. Though he tracked her course without uttering a word, Jarin's analytical mind was working overtime. _Where are you going?_ He asked himself. _Where would I be going in your shoes?_It was when the girl moved into the parts of the spaceport that Jarin knew to be frequented by the owners of private and executive starcraft that it suddenly clicked.

"She's looking for a privateer, going to smuggle herself off planet."  
"Privateers?" Tarkuss echoed. "How'd she know where the smugglers are?"  
"They don't exactly hide themselves from potential customers." Jarin replied. "Maybe she got the cab driver talking or maybe she just used some intuition. Doesn't matter how, but if she managed to negotiate a way out of the system..."  
"The privateers don't run a cheap business." Tarkuss observed.  
"No, but they run a smooth one. If she's got the credits, chances are unless she picked herself a real piece of scum, they'll get her where she wants to go, quietly."  
The second turian scowled. "This _krit_ just gets better and better."  
"Indeed." Said Jarin, forwarding the images once again.

Tarkuss clamped down on the urge to shudder at the traces of worry that had appeared in his partner's eyes. It wasn't often that Jarin became so concerned about a situation but when he did, it set alarm bells ringing for both of them. The pair continued to monitor the quarian's progress, neither needing to say anything as she cautiously worked her way further into the terminals rented by private corporations and frequented by their employees. Her first few inquiries appeared to lead her nowhere and Jarin could see through her body language that she was growing desperate by the time she eventually approached a nondescript turian. Standing with his back to the camera the turian appeared to be giving orders to a salarian and it was only when he turned at the quarian's approach that a rare curse spilled from Jarin's lips.

"What?" Demanded Tarkuss, immediately set on edge by his partner's uncharacteristic behaviour. "You recognize him?"  
"Yeah, name's Tellix Nolas. He's a well known smuggler in all the right circles, though no one's ever been able to prove it. I've hired him once or twice; he's expensive but if you want something or someone moved without a word of it ever getting out, he's the man you see." Jarin's crest stiffened as he watched the two figures on his screen silently converse, trying to read into their gesticulation, hoping to get a feel for how the discussion was developing. To his annoyance pair drew their conversation to a close with scarcely a hint at its outcome, no nodding of heads, no handshake, nothing. It was only when the quarian moved away and the Omni-Tool on her forearm flared with a new data screen that Jarin spotted his chance. His hand shot out to pause the image just after she stepped off-screen, slowly backtracking frame by frame until the girl once again re-entered the image. Beside him, Tarkuss was for once silent, studying the screen intently. "Can you zoom in on her Omni-Tool?" He asked suddenly.  
"In the middle of it." Jarin replied, encouraged that his partner had spotted the same clue. His dextrous fingers gently manipulated the controls, slowly bringing the holographic omni-screen into view. Each man fought off the urge to twist their heads as they attempted to decipher the mirrored quarian script that the girl was viewing. Tarkuss gave up almost immediately. "Spirits, I don't read suit-trash." He muttered and was about to pull away when a small diagram at the bottom left of the image caught his eye. Squinting to make out the overstretched and poorly recorded mix of outlines, Tarkuss eventually caught his partner's attention. "Hey Jarin, that look like a map to you?"  
Following Tarkuss' gaze, Jarin studied the diagram for a moment before nodding slowly. "Think so, looks like a freighter dock if I had to guess. Which," he added as he pulled in results from his search on quarian lettering, "ties in with what I can see on her screen...Longreave Medical's private docking terminal."  
"You think that's where she was headed?"  
"Probably. The name seems familiar, I think Tellix used to work with them back when I knew him. Maybe still does. Man in his position can't afford to pass up on clients, even executive ones."

Working on the new lead the turian took control of the spaceport camera archive footage again, swiftly moving their point of view to Longreave's docks. Sure enough, after a tense half-hour of staring at the screen until their eyes ached with the strain, the two men finally caught a glimpse of their quarian entering the terminal. Slowing down the footage revealed that she had acquired an ID card from somewhere, the company's private hire guards offering no resistance as she presented it and walked inside. Jarin lifted his hand to move the cameras on but hesitated at the last moment. Tarkuss shot him a look. "You gonna wait around all day? We're almost due to report in and _shek_ if I'm telling _him_ to hold when he calls."

"I can't get in to their camera feed," said Jarin bluntly, "not without breaching Longreave's firewalls and VI safeguards. That's a lot more dangerous than what we're doing now."  
"Do you think I care?" Hissed Tarkuss. "We don't have time anymore!"  
His fellow turian held up a hand, cutting him off before his worried rant truly began. "We don't have to track _her_, we track Tellix. If Tellix has sent her in there already, he's going to be moving soon and whether he's smuggling her or not, he's still got to get clearance from the control tower before he can initiate take-off. That means there's going to be a record of him leaving."  
"So?"  
"So," replied Jarin patiently, "Illium's a stringent world. If there's a record of him leaving, there's a record of where he was going to; especially if he's trading for a corporation now."  
Tarkuss crossed his arms, standing behind his partner with an expression that said he still wasn't quite ready to believe. "What if this Tellix makes a stop, drops her off somewhere?"  
"He's on corporation time, they run themselves to the minute when shifting cargo. He can't afford to be late turning up, makes records of his flight stand out more if anyone ever asks questions. Nolas is too smart for that."

Ditching the camera screens and working his way into the spaceport's daunting flight log, Jarin quickly initiated a search for starships departing from Longreave's terminal within a few hours of the quarian's arrival. Luckily there were few flights scheduled for that day and only one was captained by a turian that Jarin instantly recognized as Tellix, despite the man's unfamiliar alias. "And there we go. Our girl's on her way to the Citadel."  
"The Citadel?" Tarkuss dropped his hands to his hips, momentarily confused. "Why the _shek_ is she heading there?"  
Jarin shrugged. "She's running scared, probabl-"  
He was cut off mid-sentence as the terminal screen suddenly lit up with notification of an incoming, encrypted call. Both turians stared at it in silence, understanding of what it meant dawning as the steady beeping alert echoed softly throughout the small apartment. Jarin gave a questioning look to Tarkuss who, after drawing in a slow, deep breath, nodded. Determined not to show any trace of the sudden unease that had formed in his gut, Jarin reached out and established the connection. He sat rigidly in his chair as the long-distance extranet link synched the two terminals up whilst behind him, Tarkuss stood parade ground still despite the fact that neither man could be seen by their employer. With a chime the link was finally decrypted and established and Jarin found himself holding his breath until the being at the other end of the line eventually spoke.

"Do you have her?"  
Jarin's throat constricted tightly at the familiar distorted resonance that accompanied the question, the interference somehow failing to mask the speaker's malevolence. "No."  
"That is...disappointing." Said the voice, the aggrieved tone so authentic that Jarin could almost have believed the emotion was genuine. The next words seized his heart in an icy fist. "Goodbye Jarin. Tarkuss."  
"Wait!"  
The voice said nothing, but to Jarin's relief, the connection wasn't severed. Knowing he had but seconds, the turian pushed ahead.  
"We know where she's going. The Citadel, on a Longreave Medical freighter captained by a turian named Tellix Nolas. He's using the alias Jultan Sordis."  
The second of silence was the longest in either turian's life. "You are certain?"  
The mercenary swallowed hard. "I'd stake my life on it."  
He wasn't sure if it was the distortion or his own imaginings, but Jarin could have sworn he'd heard a faint chuckle. "You already have." Immediately, the terminal's callbox winked out.

For a long moment neither man said anything, then Jarin broke the spell by running his hand atop his fringe and muttering something under his breath. Tarkuss abandoned his rigid pose though the tension didn't leave his body as he resumed pacing for the second time that night. "What the _shek_ was that Jarin? Huh? Are we clear? He hung up on us, what does that mean?"  
His companion glared, patience wearing dangerously thin. "Shut up and sit down. You're giving me a migraine."  
"Spirits take your migraine!" Tarkuss nearly shouted. "I want to know if I can expect to live out the day!"  
"He's not going to kill us," replied Jarin wearily, "not as long as the quarian is on that freighter. Not as long as she arrives on the Citadel."  
"But we didn't get her!" Tarkuss pointed out. "We failed our mission!"  
"Maybe we did and maybe we didn't. What matters is that we told him where she is and where she's heading. We both know he's going to have agents on the Citadel waiting long before she gets there. They'll take the girl out and the boss will let us go on breathing; he doesn't kill for the sake of it, not while there's a use for us."  
Tarkuss halted, back to Jarin. The tips of his crest were the only indication that he had turned his head to speak. "You're sure about that?" He asked, his voice quieter now though no less uncertain.  
"I wouldn't be sitting here if I wasn't."  
Slowly, Tarkuss heaved a sigh, then abruptly moved for the kitchen. "Spirits, I need a _shekking_ drink. Why the hell did I buy the weak _krit_?"  
"There's a bottle of whiskey in the cupboard." Jarin revealed, stepping away from his terminal for the first time in what felt like an age. He had to restrain himself from gasping in relief as his body was finally released from the painful grip of the arduous chair.  
Tarkuss rummaged through the grotty pre-fab doors with abandon, cackling in spite of himself when his talons finally wrapped themselves around the neck of a thick glass bottle. "Expensive stuff," he whistled, taking in a deep whiff of the strong spirits within, "no wonder you were hiding it from me."  
Jarin joined his partner, eyeing the heady spirit with an appreciation he hadn't anticipated. "Figured we're due a celebration."  
Tarkuss snorted, almost spilling precious drops from the bottle's neck. "We haven't got payment for the job yet."  
"And we'll probably never see it." Muttered Jarin. "We just handed those guys on the Citadel a nice wage packet."  
Tarkuss' head drooped with bitter realisation. "Dammit. That's a lotta creds we're going to be missing out on."  
Jarin nodded, feeling the bitter aftertaste of defeat himself.  
"Makes you wonder exactly what's on that data core though." Tarkuss mused quietly.  
Jarin turned, affixing his partner with a long, hard stare before responding. "It's questions like that you _never_ ask Tarkuss."  
"Yeah, forget I said it." The younger turian finished pouring out the measures, placing the heavy bottle on the cluttered countertop and holding one out to his long-time partner. "Well," he announced with false enthusiasm, "it might have all gone to _krit_ Jarin, but here's to being alive eh?"  
The pair of glasses clinked softly.  
"To being alive."


	36. Chapter 36: Precious Cargo

**Chapter 36 – Precious Cargo  
**"Hope you're not afraid of the dark."  
It had been over an hour since the turian had grinned at his own joke and sealed Tali'Zorah into the hidden compartment below the deck of his freighter, over an hour since she'd last seen much beyond her own hand in the darkness of the chamber. The space she occupied was just long enough to allow her to stretch her legs out if she sat with her back to the wall, giving her more room than the cramped conditions she'd been forced to endure aboard the turian cargo-runner she and Ren had shared. All the same, the quarian had grown tired of her constraints within minutes. If it hadn't been for Tellix's strict instructions that she was not to utilize Omni-Tools or electronic devices of any kind beyond what was absolutely necessary for her suit's VI, she would have been browsing the extranet long ago. Instead images of the two turians that had pursued her on Illium had occupied Tali's thoughts for much of the last hour. _Who were they working for? What did they want with me? How did they find me, and for that matter, how long had they been chasing me?_

The answers had not been forthcoming. Eventually Tali gave up, finishing her mental workout with little more than a headache to show for her efforts. The one thing she was fairly certain of was that the turian's sudden appearance was somehow linked to her possession of the geth data core she'd taken from Olsav. Tali knew they couldn't be working for Zeras any longer and after the strange manner in which the geth had abandoned the rogue diplomat, she guessed that the synthetics must have another master. One who had both the credits and the power to learn of her theft and move to intercept her in a matter of days. Tali could only hope that the two men that had been chasing her across Illium, Jarin and Tarkuss, had lost all trace of her that night. She was reasonably confident that in the worst case scenario of them finding out she'd fled the planet, it would be days before they could arrive on the Citadel to begin hunting her down once more. _With any luck this Tellix won't have left any traces for them to follow either. He better not have after how much this trip cost me._

Tali was still chafing at the price the turian smuggler had demanded in return for taking her to the Citadel at such short notice. The majority of the credits she'd pocketed from the sale of the stolen cargo-runner had been handed over to Tellix to secure passage, though Tali had retained the sense to provide only 60% of the credits initially, with the rest to follow once she arrived at her destination. Tellix had been willing enough to accept those conditions and the scattered conversations about him that she'd picked up on in the smuggler's lounge, as it was informally referred to, seemed to be true. So far his operation had been run with a quiet, confident professionalism that emanated from the Captain and resonated throughout his small eight-man crew. Tellix had assured her that every man on the freighter had been handpicked and their loyalty was never in doubt. Tali had been forced to agree with his judgement, having seen them operate as she watched quietly from the sidelines when she had been permitted to travel freely around the freighter. The engineer had been impressed with the solemn deference the men showed to their Captain and the sure fire, practised manner in which they went about their work. As Tellix had claimed, each man was happy enough to acknowledge her if she was to raise a concern, but for the most part her presence went ignored. Clearly the crew were just as adept at handling the other kind of cargo their Captain ferried as they were the piles of bulky containers.

The voyage itself had been uneventful and it was only as they arrived within the Widow system that Tellix had called for her, escorting the engineer to a smuggling compartment that the turian had been using for years. He'd explained that despite working for and using a private corporation's docking bays, his ship still had to be searched by Council representatives in the interests of preventing immigration. He'd mentioned bribery before Tali had even thought to bring the subject up, revealing that it was often an indefinite and expensive practise that would cost the girl extra if she wanted to risk trying it. Tali had vetoed the idea and Tellix had instead flashed her a roguish grin. "Then we go with plan A which has worked so many times the boys and I are starting to bet on whether we'll ever have to use plan B. Odds aren't good, let me tell you."

And so Tali found herself trapped within a blacked-out compartment with only a few inches of thick metal sheeting separating her from the mid-deck of the turian freighter. When Tali had first seen the smuggler's 'contraband cabinet', as he liked to describe it, she'd immediately wondered to herself if the incredibly simplistic set-up would be too easy to detect. Tellix had quelled those fears as he helped her down, perhaps already familiar with the complaint, confidently stating that it worked so well _because_ it was so simple. Tali could only hope he was right as he and a batarian crew-mate hefted the covering back into place, plunging her into blackness.

At first Tali had attempted to sleep but the lack of space and hard metal edges denied her the pleasure. She resisted the urge to consult her chronometer, remembering well Tellix's warnings that the council inspection team might pick up on unusual Omni-Tool readings. Instead she briefly considered attempting to count the passing minutes but thought better of it, her mind soon drifting to the problems that seemed be to plaguing her wherever she went. Now, as her thoughts moved on from the mysterious turians, Tali lay still and tried to feel the movement of the bulky craft, engrossing herself in guessing games. _Was that the faint tug of deceleration? Are we beginning docking procedures? Is that the far-off reverberations of the boarding ramp being lowered for the inspection team?_ It wasn't long before the cargo freighter seemed to bring itself to a halt, the steady thrum of her engines fading into silence. Tali listened closely for clues and eventually she picked out the purposeful tramping of feet marching across the deck above her. Whoever was making the noise drew to a halt nearby, leaving the quarian to wonder if she would be freed from her confinement shortly. Curious, Tali strained her ears but could only pick just pick out the faint muttering of conversation through the heavy plating above.

The lack of intelligence put Tali on edge and dozens of thoughts rushed through her mind. _If Tellix is coming for me why has he stopped so close by? Is he with the inspectors? Will this compartment really hide me from them? _The cold fingers of fear suddenly gripped Tali's throat as unbidden memories popped into her head. _Avo Nid said they sell my people as slaves, what if Tellix is planning to do that with me? _Suddenly very on edge, Tali drew her shotgun into her hands, taking comfort in the reassuring weight. She eyed the false floor above her with suspicion now rather than hope, curling up against the corners of the compartment to try and retain as much surprise as she could. Up above the conversation seemed to die off and then the reverberations of heavy footfalls filled the space around her as whoever it was marched across the false cover. Tali raised her weapon slightly but didn't prime it, not yet. Her patience was rewarded as the marching continued, the cause of the sound disappearing further into the ship. Tense minutes ticked by but the ship seemed content to remain silent and Tali was just beginning to relax her hold on the weapon slightly when there came the sound of scuffling directly above. The trapped girl barely had time to re-raise her weapon before the deck plating slid to one side and a subtly tattooed turian face appeared over the rim.

Tellix Novas' eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the gun. "Expecting trouble are we?"  
"I don't trust mercenaries." His quarian passenger replied defensively, her grip on the shotgun unwavering.  
"There's just me and Barlbas," the turian said, gesturing for his batarian crewman to show his face briefly, "we're here to get you out now the inspection team has finished." Barlbas muttered something unintelligible as he glared down at the quarian girl, half shrouded in the shadows. Tellix shot him a look but the massively built native of Khar'shan just sniffed dismissively and turned to lower a small set of ladders down into the hole. They landed with a clang, clattering against the side as Barlbas positioned them. Holding the hooked tips into place with his immense weight to prevent them from sliding Barlbas leant out over the hole again and gestured for the quarian with a deep grunt.  
"He doesn't talk much," Tellix apologised into the darkness, "but he's as reliable as everyone else on this ship."  
Whether his passenger was fully convinced or not Novas wasn't sure but he heard the distinctive sound of a weapon being stowed moments before the ladders shook with newly added weight. Tellix got to his feet as she neared the top, offering his hand before the quarian cleared the last few steps. The girl ignored it, lifting herself out with practised ease and standing off to one side, eyeing the pair tentatively. While Tellix wondered what had caused the sudden change of nature in his client, Barlbas seemed to ignore her entirely, easily hoisting the ladders out of the pit and locking them back onto the wall without a word. As the mountain of a man began to move back to the main hold, Tellix made eye contact with his passenger. "We're not pirates on this ship miss, or slavers if that's what you were thinking. And yes, that includes Barlbas; his people might be notorious for it but not everyone agrees with the Hegemony's policies."  
Tellix gestured for the quarian to follow the man in question but she declined with a shake of her head. "You first."  
The turian favoured her with a smirk before complying. "You're a smart one. Smart, but paranoid. I don't know what kind of mercenaries you've encountered before but I run this ship and while I might be a smuggler, I still understand honour." He stopped at a turn in the ship's narrow corridors, fixing Tali with a compelling look. "When we get paid to do a job, we do it to the letter. We don't take bribes and we don't double-cross. It's why we charge so much, and why people will pay it, sometimes more than once."

Though Tali offered no verbal response, the turian thought he could see the faint glimmer of self-doubt in her eyes. He sensed it was best to say nothing more and instead continued on, stepping lightly in Barlbas' footsteps as the muscle-bound man led them to the main cargo hold. A group of seven other men from three different species were already busily hauling stacks of crates onto a large lift in the centre of the hold, their various muscles glistening with the sweat of their exertion. Tellix paused in the bulkhead doorway, allowing Barlbas to move ahead and join his fellow smugglers. "We're making good progress," the turian observed to Tali, "shouldn't be more than a half-hour before we can get the first batch of cargo off-loaded."  
"And then what happens?" Tali demanded, "I don't see how you getting cargo off your ship helps me get onto the Citadel, or are you just planning to toss me down the ramp and leave it at that?"  
Tellix looked almost offended. "Didn't you hear what I just said? You paid for me to get you onto the Citadel with no strings attached which is exactly what I'm going to do. I'll explain how later but right now, you'll excuse me if I go give my boys a hand."

* * *

"Lower us down Lyiom!"  
The salarian at the lift controls offered a hand in acknowledgement of Tellix's order and hit the controls. The floor underneath Tali immediately lurched and mechanical whines filled the air as the lift began its slow descent. A pile of heavy shipping crates and a few specialist containment units filled the centre of the platform around which stood a ring of six men. Tellix and Tali also stood to one side of the pile, the turian standing confidently to the quarian's left. The first crack appeared in the hull, sending a thin shaft of eerie blue light into the hold which steadily widened until the lift had descended enough for Tali to catch her first glimpse of the Citadel. The light grey tones of the artificial floor seemed oddly warm to the eye and as more of it was revealed, the uniform perfection of its construction seemed to deny plausibility. As the lift lowered further Tali saw that the recessed walls were made of the same materials, often broken up into dozens of individual plates. They sloped up all along the right hand side, stretching impossibly high and far into the distance with countless lights, balconies and platforms chasing away after the stars that twinkled beyond the nebula to the quarian's left.

The cargo lift hit bottom with a solid thunk that startled Tali and seemed to bring the patient smuggling crew to life. The men operated in pairs, quickly working to move the crates off the lift and onto a group of transporters that were being brought up by a team of four dockworkers all wearing matching red and white uniforms. Tali froze at the sight of the official-looking unit but Tellix ignored their presence entirely, already busy exchanging greetings with a fifth uniformed figure who stood supervising the others. Unsure of what to do with herself, Tali moved closer to the pair.  
"It's been too long Misha," declared Tellix happily, "how's Tatyana and the little ones?"  
"We are well _moy droog_!" Replied the thickly-accented human, surprising Tali by wrapping the turian in a mighty embrace.  
_So much for cross-species hate here_. Tali thought with amusement.  
"And what of you Jultan? You have had safe journey, yes?"  
_Jultan? Tellix must be operating under an alias.  
_"Yes, very quiet." Replied the turian, gently extricating himself from the bigger man's grasp. "All these rumours of geth sightings are out on the Alliance/Hegemony borders, far beyond the routes to Illium."  
"Ah," Misha sighed appreciatively, "it has been many years since I last visited the asari jewel. Truly, I miss beauty of that world."  
Tellix grinned slyly. "It's pretty to be sure, but I prefer the beauty of its natives myself."  
"Agreed!" Misha laughed. "But do not let Tatyana hear me say this!" Then his countenance darkened. "Still, all this talk of geth incursions getting too widespread to ignore. Be careful when next you sail the stars Jultan, the galaxy has habit of being most dangerous right where it should be most tranquil."  
"You worry too much old friend, my men and I know how to take care of ourselves." Tellix seemed to exude confidence and it was as Tali stepped closer that she felt him cut the conversation short. "Now, I hate to bring our reunion to an end Misha, but I must leave you. I have some precious cargo I need to deliver in person."  
"Of course," said Misha in such a way that Tali suspected he knew more than he was letting on, "do not let me delay you further."  
"I'll see you at the bar later?" Tellix called over his shoulder as he moved back towards the half-unloaded cargo stack and Misha dipped his head in agreement.  
"Dosvedanya!"

* * *

Tali and Tellix walked in silence along the railed walkway, one of the Captain's crew maintaining a constant distance as he pushed along a sled behind them containing a trio of environmentally sealed canisters. When Tali had enquired as to their contents, Tellix had simply shaken his head. "You're not the only thing I'm smuggling today." He had admitted as they moved further and further from the teams still busily unloading the freighter. They had been stopped once by another pair of uniformed officers, the senior man demanding to see the paperwork permitting them to proceed into restricted areas. Tellix had produced the files without complaint and as the olive-skinned human studied the readout, it gave Tali time to examine the emblem on his tight-fitting shirt. Though the human lettering was strange, the quarian recognized the patterns, realising that it matched with the corporate logos that she'd seen in the terminal that Tellix had directed her to back on Illium. The smuggler had called them Longreave Medical and had referred to them as his employers, explaining that they often asked him to haul cargo across the galaxy for them. The glimmer in his eye had told her then that not all of the cargo he moved for the company was legal.

Now she waited for the officer to either grant or deny them passage, acutely aware that her fate lay within the hands of the smuggler. If whatever was on that sled turned out to be illegal and he didn't have any way of proving otherwise, she'd be arrested as an accomplice and the moment they found out she didn't have immigration clearance, Tali knew she'd likely be imprisoned indefinitely. Tali watched the human scrutinize the reports, his dark eyebrows narrowing in contemplation. Even if someone within Longreave Medical had hired Tellix to smuggle the objects for them, it was unlikely that they would have bribed or manipulated everyone in their path to allow the smuggler to pass unhindered. Even Tali could see how this would point all too clearly towards executive intervention. She found herself breathing a little easier when the man finally handed the datapad back to Tellix. "Everything's in order, you're clear to go proceed."  
Tellix nodded his thanks and the group stepped forward as one but came to an immediate halt when the human suddenly threw his hand up in front of Tali. "Not the quarian though," he warned, "I didn't see anything about clearing her through."  
Tali's heart began to pound and she opened her mouth to protest her innocence but Tellix got there first.  
"She's a specialist I hired back on Illium, here to make sure the cargo gets through in one piece. I've got her forms here." He added, producing yet another datapad.  
The official examined the readout dubiously. "A _quarian_ specialist?"  
Tali bristled at the barely concealed insult but again the smuggler was too quick for her.  
"Who else but a quarian would know everything about environmental seals?"  
The human shrugged indifferently. "Well it says here she's cleared for 72 hours, just make sure she comes back with you when you leave and we won't have a problem."  
"Of course." Agreed Tellix, stepping past the man and gesturing for the crewman leading the sled to follow. Tali kept pace at the turian's side, wondering how best to voice her concerns about the man's last directive. Fortunately, he seemed to pick up on her unease.  
"Don't worry about all that," he said once they were out of earshot of the guard, "when it comes time to leave he won't be on shift and I know for a fact the next guy won't even be aware you exist."  
Tali nodded slowly. She wasn't happy about having to trust the smuggler's word again, but she also recognized that he had yet to lead her astray. "Where do we go from here?" She asked, seeing the walkway split off ahead.  
"Right." Responded Tellix immediately, his confident stride never wavering. "S'carre here will be staying with the sled while you and I head up to Longreave's offices in the lift. Once we get to ground level we head out into the foyer and you follow my lead from there. You ever been on the Presidium before?" He asked suddenly.  
"I-no." Replied Tali, debating whether or not to continue before abruptly deciding the knowledge couldn't hurt. "I've never even been on the Citadel before."  
"Well it'll help if you look a little bewildered as we're passing reception but if this is your first time that should be easy, Presidium tends to have that effect on people."

They rounded the corner in question a moment later, coming to a halt a few feet away from a pair glass walled elevators that were currently busy ferrying scores of passengers to and fro. With the immediate danger of discovery behind her, Tali felt the first flush of excitement as she gazed up at the strangers in the enclosed space as the elevators worked their way from floor to floor. She stole a glance at the swirling nebula to her left, already picturing the majestic view that would be visible from above. More employees of Longreave Medical were awaiting the next pickup and as the lift whooshed down towards them Tali made as though to step toward it, only for Tellix to offer a slight shake of his head. "Let them go first, we'll take the second one." Though briefly disappointed Tali did as the turian asked, remaining still as the lift quickly filled upon its arrival. The smuggler's decision proved to be wise as the second lift arrived with no passengers other than themselves. "I'll be back shortly." Tellix informed his crewman who merely nodded, apparently used to these kinds of detours. Letting Tali enter first, Nolas stepped inside the elevator and keyed the control for ground level. There was a soft chime as the door slid shut and then the cylinder began its ascent. Unable to help herself, Tali moved in front of the glass panes, drinking in the incredible sight before her.

The five arms of the Citadel stretched out for miles all around her, their tips just visible at the fringe of the Serpent nebula. Each housed a vast metropolis filled with all manner of buildings whose glowing lights formed a twinkling canvas that was broken only by the gnat-like aircars that streamed across the arms, their movement barely discernible from Tali's position. _Those must be the Wards. _Tali realised, feeling her anticipation grow as she stared down at the nearest one. _They look busy even from here, Keelah I can't wait to see what it's like down there. _Suddenly a shadow passed over them and Tali looked up to see a massive cargo ship drifting over them, its size comparable to some of the smaller cruisers in the Migrant Fleet. A bevy of Kowloon class freighters followed in its wake and as they passed, Tali noticed the plethora of starships populating the nebula for the first time. Hundreds if not thousands of ships swarmed around the space station, all ranging in size from intra-system cargo runners to the immense, state-of-the-art dreadnoughts of the council fleets. Knowing that what she was seeing would be a mere fraction of the ships coming and going from the Citadel meant little to a quarian used to seeing thousands of ships flying in formation but the sheer variety on display here boggled her mind. She took a step closer to the glass as an asari transporter swept passed, marvelling at the sleek lines of the stylized hull.

"It's some view isn't it?" Tellix remarked, unintentionally startling the quarian.  
Tali nodded in response, reluctant to take her eyes off the multitude of ships outside.  
"Only people who have one better is the Council up in their tower but somehow I doubt they get the time to enjoy it."  
"It's incredible," said the engineer, her voice barely above a whisper, "Torr was right when he said I should visit the Wards. It must be so dynamic down there."  
"If it's the Wards you're heading to then you've got the right idea." Said Tellix. "I should warn you that you're going to be walking with a lot of important types once we get up to the Presidium and most of them still won't have forgiven your kind for the geth. Seeing a quarian walking among them...well, I hope you're not expecting any friendly looks."  
Tali nodded, remembering her treatment on Omega and Illium. "I know what to expect."  
Tellix eyed her doubtfully. "I hope you do," he said at last. "In either case, once I get you out of this building my job's done so whatever happens to you out there isn't my business any more. All the same, I'll give you some free advice. Get down to the Wards as fast as you can if you want to avoid trouble. The Citadel's not very welcoming to your people as it is and C-Sec can be very particular about who gets to wander around with the social elite on the Presidium. If you want to go unnoticed, you'll stand a better chance down with the rabble."  
"Thank you." Said Tali and noticing they were nearing their stop, she opened up her Omni-Tool. "I think now would be a good time to forward your the rest of your credits wouldn't it?"  
The turian thought about it, then nodded. "It'd be best, considering what I have in mind to get you out of here. Same account number as the last one, if you'd be so kind."  
Tali had prepared the transfer some time ago and had the money sent over just as the elevator came to a halt. Tellix had only to glance at the alert on his own Omni-Tool to confirm the arrival of the funds as the doors split open. "Much obliged. Now, stick close and let me do the talking."

He was fortunate to have spoken these last words quietly for on the other side of the door a mixed group of men and women in business suits, workers fatigues and more red uniformed officials stood waiting for the elevator. Tellix led the way past them, nodding politely as some stepped aside for him. Tali tagged along behind, trying to shrink and hide as best she could from the curious and prying eyes of those nearby. It was a losing battle and as Tellix led her further into the depths of the building every person they made their way past affixed the quarian with unpleasant glares. Eventually the more tarnished and worn employee only areas gradually gave way to a more pristine finish where every surface was made to sparkle for the company's visitors. Tali could feel the subtle change in atmosphere by this point, slowly realising that she was being mistaken for a visitor and possible client resulting in fewer hostile stares and an increase in curious glances, with even a few polite smiles occasionally. Tellix meanwhile was suffering none of these rebuffs and despite the predominantly human presence in the corporate office, many seemed to recognise him and greet him warmly. Tellix even stopped to exchange words with a few, mostly of the female variety Tali noted, and if questioned would introduce the quarian as a specialist advisor he'd been tasked with escorting. Tali would simply nod politely at this and offer a thin smile if eye contact was made, though most of Tellix's friends seemed happy to ignore her. Only one caught her off-guard by enquiring if she was in Citadel space as part of her Pilgrimage or if her visit was on behalf of the Floatilla. Momentarily flustered, the machinist recovered quickly. "I-yes, I am here on Pilgrimage. I'm...surprised that a human would know about such things."  
The blond-haired woman laughed pleasantly. "I studied alien cultures back in my college days; I eventually dropped the class, but by then I'd already learnt all the basics. How are you finding it out here?"  
"Different," replied Tali honestly, taking a strange liking to the woman's informal approach, "how life is lived in the rest of the galaxy contrasts quite strongly against normal life on the Migrant Fleet. Sometimes it's...difficult to remember how things work."  
"That's right, you quarians operate your economy on a barter system don't you?"  
"That's the essence of it." Tali replied, catching Tellix's motion for her to hurry up.  
"It's a novel way to do things. Makes you wonder if we could operate a similar system galaxy-wide doesn't it?"  
"I suppose," said Tali evasively, "you'd have to ask an economist."  
The woman laughed again, clutching a datapad to her chest as a pair of suited men walked by. "Good idea, I'll bring it up at the board meeting this afternoon." Then suddenly a hand shot out which Tali was forced to grasp, her fingers folding awkwardly over the excessive digits of the human's hand. "Nice to have met you...?"  
"Tali." Replied the quarian as the two shook, deciding it was better to leave her full name out of it.  
"Myra Reynolds. Make sure Jultan doesn't get into too much trouble won't you?" A knowing grin accompanied these last words and as she walked away a distinctive turian voice raised itself above the corporate hubbub.  
"Nice to see you again too Myra!"

* * *

Eventually the engineer and the smuggler arrived at a large, open-plan foyer where the ceilings rose far higher than any Tali had seen so far, making her wonder once again just why the other races needed that much open, useless space. _At least they've put some of it to use this time,_ she noticed grudgingly, eyeing the glass walkway up above that ran around the walls of the room. A pair of reception desks were housed in booth-like structures at the top of a small staircase that led down to a large waiting area. Carefully placed benches were nestled in the crook of neatly-trimmed garden-pots whilst a small counter to one side overlooked a sitting area with plush leather seating, expensive glass tables and a few scattered e-zines. A number of smartly dressed clients were already wandering about the small botanical oasis whilst two others had decided to purchase drinks from the counter and were deep in debate about an upcoming meeting. The same uniform walls that Tali had seen back at the docking bay were here as well, though this time they appeared thicker and contained banks of vertical blue lights that offset the furnishings of the foyer perfectly. The wall housing the door leading to the outside world had been constructed out of some kind of misty glass, allowing the quarian her first glimpse of the fabled Presidium. The light outside was bright, causing her to squint slightly and she just had time to make out some kind of tree before Tellix took her by the crook of the arm and drew her close.  
"On my cue, head straight for the lobby doors, they lead right out on to the Presidium. I'll keep them busy on this end. Once you're out, you want to start heading right. Follow the signs to the Presidium Commons, you should find an elevator to the Wards not far from there."  
Tali was about to thank him but they'd drawn near to one of the reception desks and the human clerk was already offering them a well-practised smile at their approach. Tellix was swift to return the gesture. "Good morning Maria! They're keeping you as busy as ever I see."  
"Jultan Sordis! I _thought_ that was you!" All traces of professional cordiality fell away and the woman's posture slumped slightly as she allowed herself to relax slightly. "Panela isn't with us anymore," she revealed, "she's moved on to 'bigger things' and they've yet to send me a replacement."  
"Meaning you get to handle even more of your beloved paperwork." Said Tellix with just the right amount of sarcasm.  
"I wish that was all," chuckled Maria, "but I also have all the 'too-busy-to-wait-around' suits interrupting me and demanding I call down an exec so they can begin their appointment three hours early."  
"Well I'm not wearing a suit and I'm not here three hours early, but I _am_ hoping you can let Bill Wigham know I'm ready to discuss my next assignment."  
The woman scowled, though the mirth in her eyes revealed it to be playful. "I should have known, you never come to me unless you want something these days."  
"Oh that's just cruel," replied Tellix, the all-knowing smirk never leaving his face, "what about the time when I brought back those expensive Thessian chocolates just for you?"  
"One box of chocolates in two years doesn't really say I love you Jultan." Said the receptionist mischievously, pausing the search on her terminal just long enough to pin the turian with a pointed look.  
"Oh I see how it is," grinned the smuggler, "in that case you'd better hope Bill sends me somewhere nice so I bring you back some of the local flavour."  
"Well it doesn't look like Bill is going to be sending you anywhere," declared Maria, "he called in sick this morning, won't be back until tomorrow."  
Tellix muttered glumly to himself, then abruptly turned to Tali. "In that case it looks like you and the rest of the crew just got yourselves 24 hours free shore leave. I'll let the rest of the men know but you might as well get the jump on them." He gestured to the doors behind the quarian, his expression still affable but his eyes implored her. "The Presidium's right outside and you're probably not going to get the chance to see it again; I wouldn't be waiting around if I were you."  
Tali didn't have to be a mind reader to see the subtle hints in his choice of words and while she didn't dare speak, she locked gazes with him and nodded subtly. Turning on her heel and beginning her walk across the foyer, Tali caught the last strains of conversation between the receptionist and the smuggler. "Are you sure a quarian won't get into trouble up here? They barely tolerate them down in the Wards."  
"I think she'll take care of herself just fine Maria."

Tali'Zorah left the pair behind and crossed the room without incident, making herself ignore the vibrant miniature gardens as she passed them, no matter how much her curiosity was piqued by the unfamiliar plants. As she neared the glass double-doors they split apart silently and the familiar voice of a VI, this one with human overtones, resonated from hidden speakers. "Thank you for visiting Longreave Medical, have a pleasant day." As soon as she stepped outside the corporate building Tali felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders and though she immediately moved off to the right as Tellix had instructed, her eyes couldn't help but fall upon the massive lake lying far below. A steppe-like network of tiered balconies and walkways ran up the angular walls of the cylindrical Presidium interior and looking down from the railings of the fourth level, Tali had expected to see a bottom layer filled with...she wasn't sure. Wide open concourses, busy parking platforms, sprawling shopping emporiums for the galaxy's elite if the holovids were to be believed. Whatever she'd pictured, it couldn't have been further removed from the sight before her. Sitting directly between this side of the station and the next was a solid lake, its surface a rich blue and peppered with sprouting fountains that sprayed the water dozens of feet into the air. Scattered walkways extended out across its expanse, their consistent whiteness broken up by the occasional scattering of the boughs of green trees and patches of well manicured grass. High above the familiar shapes of aircars whizzed past in busy traffic lanes against the backdrop of an artificial sky peppered with imitation white clouds. Tali could scarcely believe the scale of it and the amount of unused volume the station held felt sinful just to look at. The astonished quarian stepped closer to the balcony's edge, ignoring the vapid glares of passersby. _How much water are they holding in there? _She wondered. _It's probably more than the reservoirs aboard the Yalawe. It can't be drinkable though, can it?_

Her eyes rarely left the massive body of water as the quarian made her way across the Presidium, so lost in her disbelief that the hostile stares she was receiving from the well-dressed men and women went completely unnoticed. Her fingers trailed briefly across the top of a glass railing, the idyllic appearance of the Citadel's heart having a soothing effect on the fatigued soul of the bewitched girl. She passed bars and open air restaurants, shopping emporiums both small and large and more corporate offices and government property than she could count. So enraptured by it all was Tali that she almost forgot to look for signs directing her to the Wards. In truth, the quarian was becoming increasingly reluctant to leave. The Wards had looked incredibly alive, seemingly bursting with the collective energy of the galactic community; and yet Tali felt drawn instead to the restful, contemplative atmosphere of the Presidium. _What could a few more hours up here hurt? I'll have plenty of time to investigate the Wards later._ The engineer barely noticed the large sign as she passed under it: Presidium Commons. Her eyes instead were on the walls of the corridors she passed through, each twice her height and glowing with advertisements for everything from banking services to the latest fashions. Tali gazed at each one as she slowly strolled by, drinking in as much of the experience as she could. _So this is how the rest of the galaxy lives. _The thought had been innocent enough but it was the realisation that followed it which caused the girl's features to suddenly harden. _And we're denied it all, all this peace and comfort, the homes, even the right to exist alongside the other species. And for what reason? The mistakes of our ancestors? How much longer must my people pay for the geth's existence?_

And just like that, Tali'Zorah no longer cared to remain on the Presidium. The quarian's footsteps were abruptly that much more rapid, her eyes no longer on everything but looking only for the nearest route to the Wards. As the spell of the Presidium fell away with each passing moment Tali's blissful ignorance disappeared along with it. She was suddenly very aware of the withering looks from the people she strode past, a faint glimmer of self-consciousness reminding her that the fabrics of her suit hadn't been washed properly in weeks. Then her jaw tightened. _You are not here to please them, to pander to their ways and grovel for their acceptance. You are a quarian. You are Tali'Zorah nar Rayya and you are here to earn your place amongst your own people; these stuck-up bosh'tets don't care anything for you, so they don't matter_. A sign ahead called to her, the entrance to the Wards was through the next district. Tali turned left at a small C-Sec office, careful not to make eye contact with the uniformed officers within, and made her way down a few flights of stairs onto a small landing. A scattering of benches held a pair of smartly dressed humans and a salarian engaged in earnest conversation with a young asari colleague. A few of the heads rose to stare at her as Tali moved past and she ignored them all.

A heartbeat later, her left arm exploded into searing agony.


	37. Chapter 37: Contagion

**Chapter 37 – Contagion  
**Screams filled the air as the quarian girl was suddenly plucked off her feet and flung back violently, gravity bringing her crashing back down on the unyielding ground with painful force. The back of her head narrowly missed the base of the staircase as she hit the ground, the double impact knocking the wind out of her. Cries of panic and alarm drowned out the moan that escaped Tali's lips and she slowly raised her head feeling oddly detached from her body. She could hear the envirosuit VI warning her of a major environmental breach but the sound was lost in the mass of dim screams and hastily barked orders. The warning turned out to be unnecessary as Tali's eyes went immediately to the grisly wound in her left bicep, the impact site a mess of torn flesh, muscle and suit fabric. Rivulets of thick red blood were already beginning to pour from the wound and Tali blinked at the odd sight. _Keelah, that's me. I'm bleeding!_ The abrupt realisation brought with it a sudden awareness of how much the injury hurt and she quickly clamped her right hand over the damage, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to squeeze the torn flesh together as best she could. Already the suit VI had compartmentalized the leak, the automated process eliminating some of her immediate fears. Still lying on her back, Tali's world abruptly darkened for a second as a terror-stricken asari ran past. Catching a glimpse of the pink colourings of her dress the quarian realised it was the same woman that had been sitting on the benches in front of her as she'd come down the stairs. Even as the teal-skinned alien disappeared from view a thin blue streak zipped over Tali's head and something shattered behind her, eliciting more wails from the rapidly dissolving crowd.

Something inside screamed at her to move and Tali responded, briefly struggling to get her legs under her as voices behind her shouted for her to stay down. The shout was followed by a pair of sharp snaps that Tali recognized as pistol fire and she risked a glance back at the pair of C-Sec officers that had clearly just left the office above her woefully unprepared and ill-equipped for the situation. A third sniper shot, the sound of its discharge hidden amongst the uproar, prompted the engineer to ignore their warnings and she fled down the staircase, plunging into the spooked crowd. Doing her best to ignore the searing pain Tali ran through their midst, the aliens collectively parting at her approach, many screaming all the louder as they caught glimpses of the blood that oozed from her arm. A fourth shot sang out behind her, claiming the life of a salarian who crumpled to the ground with a sharp cry of agony.

Tali upped her pace, ignoring the pain that intensified as a result. She saw the sign highlighting the Wards entrance pass by and she ignored it. If she did make it out of this alive, she couldn't afford to let the shooter know where to find her next. Instead the girl ran the last few metres to the sunken pedestrian tunnel at the far side of the commons and delved inside, the sounds of chaos fading as she left it behind. The panic hadn't reached this area yet and her sudden arrival was greeted with curious stares, annoyed scowls and mutterings of surprise if someone caught a glimpse of her wound. Tali refused to slow down despite the measured pace of the men and women beside her and the sound of her flight seemed to echo through the subway, disrupting the peaceable atmosphere that was the norm on the Presidium. _They can't get me, not here, just keep moving. _Tali had expected to find a long stretch of glass windows that exposed the tunnel's occupants to the world, allowing the sniper another opportunity to end her existence but luckily even here the Presidium's propensity for the implausible hadn't wavered. Glass walls housed aquatic tanks filled with multitudes of colourful fish, not the wide open vista Tali had feared. She had made it most of the way through the underpass when there came a sudden shout from behind.

"There she is, at the far side!"  
She spun on her heel in a panic, wincing as her arm swung with the motion. At first she saw nothing and then the head of a helmeted salarian appeared, his slightly frame not stopping him from shoving his way through the indignant crowds. A turian accompanied him, his face hidden under a dark hood as he shouldered his way past a slow-to-move dignitary. Tali bolted, running for the tunnel exit as quickly as she could manage. She barely had the breath to manage a yelp as someone jostled her arm and she struggled to regain her grip on the wound, her gloved fingers already slicked with blood. Part of her knew she needed to seal over the beach to limit exposure, she could already feel the sweat pouring off her and the first strains of a headache beginning to set in, but she just didn't have the time. _Priorities,_ she told herself, _got to lose them first, find help._ Tali was close to the exit now and as she slipped past a bewildered human the unmistakable sound of a gunshot filled the tunnel. "Down!" Came the cry. "Everybody down, fugitive on the run!" A cold fear gripped Tali as she realised the voice was talking about her and to her horror she saw the men and women around her responding, collectively dropping to their knees and even laying prostate where they could. She surged towards the exit in desperation and darted to the right just as another bullet whipped past where she had been standing. Breathing hard the engineer took the staircase three at a time, her muscles screaming in protest, whether from the sudden fever or the exertion she didn't know. She paused briefly at the top of the stairs and no sooner did her eyes fall upon the signs denoting 'Council Embassies' than she ran towards the government structures. _Immigration penalties can go to hell. I need medical help, need C-Sec protection, the council will grant it. They can have the geth data, let them worry about being shot at for it._

She sprinted inside the building, almost bowling over a volus ambassador as she risked a desperate glance back at the tunnel. The salarian and turian were just coming out and she felt her spirits sink further as the smaller alien raised a hand in her direction just before the doors slid shut behind her. She made straight for the main desk, doing her best to ignore the gaping stares coming her way as the volus spat curses and threats at the retreating quarian's back. She forced her trembling legs up the steps, feeling the disgust polluting the air but caring nothing for it. Reaching the pinnacle of the short climb Tali made straight for the desk and the turian clerk behind it, her sudden interruption provoking an aggrieved reaction from the human who had been conversing with him. "Excuse me! I do believe there is a queue!"  
Tali ignored him, aiming her words directly at the turian clerk. "Please, you have to help me, I've been attacked and they're hunting me, I need somewhere to hide, the Council's protection-"  
Incredulously the turian seemed completely ignorant of the blood dripping from her shoulder despite glaring straight at her. "It's C-Sec you want if you're here to report a crime; the Citadel Council does not deal in such petty matters."  
Tali tried to speak through her disbelief. "But-"  
"If there is something else you require then please step back and join the orderly queue behind you, myself or one of my colleagues will see to your matters eventually." And with that the turian appeared to dismiss her, turning his head back to the human with a look that invited him to continue. The man made as if to do so but was cut short when a gloved fist came crashing down on the countertop.  
"Listen to me you _bosh'tet_!" Tali shouted, making the human jump back in alarm. "There are men outside trying to kill me, they've already shot up half of your precious Presidium trying and now they're on their way here! I've been shot and infection is setting in already! I need medical help and Council protection, now!"  
Something in the turian's eyes hardened and the ridges on his head flattened back slightly as he suddenly got to his feet and fixed the quarian with a piercing stare. "You listen to me suit-rat," he hissed, "this is the council embassy, this is where the galaxy makes all the big decisions about what to do with all the small, insignificant specks like you. We don't have time for wild tales about gunfights on the Presidium."  
Tali stood as though shell-shocked. _He couldn't be doing this, surely the council would..._ "I have information," she cried suddenly, "data I stole from the geth about a place called..." she scrambled to remember the name, "Eden Prime! And a..a...Conduit! I think it's what the men are after! I'll give it to you," she begged, "the council can have it just please, help me!" In the corners of her vision, Tali could see uniformed guards beginning to close in, weapons hanging loose in their holsters in an unmistakable warning.  
The clerk picked up a stack of datapads and shuffled them together without even so much as a glance at her. "Leave girl, before I have you thrown off this station."

Tali moved away, stunned into silence by the response and the human paused only to swear at her before resuming his conversation. _Where do I go? What do I do?_ She realised in a cold sweat that she didn't have any answers as the circle of officers began to close around her. The engineer was just beginning to wonder if surrender would be the safest option when her sharp ears detected a sound that seemed to overshadow all other noise. She turned, heart pounding, to confirm her fears. The embassy doors had opened and in its threshold stood her pursuers. Both aliens took only a second to spot her, isolated as she was in a circle of uniforms. A few of the more aware guardsmen followed her fearful gaze and reached for their weapons at the sight of the drawn guns and as the joint cries of alarm went up on both sides, Tali made a break for it. A C-Sec officer, caught off-guard in the middle of drawing his sidearm, could only throw up a hand and order her to stop before Tali barged into him, leading with her right shoulder and gasping as the impact jolted her wound. The man went sprawling and Tali almost fell with him, recovering her balance just enough to hop over a gated barrier and sprint towards the rear of the embassies. Staff and guards cried out for her to halt but their voices merged with the shouts of "Gun! Drop the weapon!" and piercing feminine shrieks as the first shots were exchanged. In the chaos Tali spotted a janitorial cart towards the rear of the room, the front end already halfway in a service elevator as the human worker pushed it from behind. Clearing the last few metres between them Tali darted in at the side of the cart, making the man jump in surprise.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" He made as if to lunge for her and in desperation the quarian suddenly drew her pistol, bringing him to an immediate halt.  
"So they keep telling me." Replied Tali, using the barrel of the weapon to stab at the maintenance icon on the elevator panel. The man stepped away as the doors slid shut soundlessly and a heartbeat later the elevator plunged. Falling back against the far wall it took most of Tali's remaining energy not to collapse into a heap, her weakened muscles beginning to quiver as she reached for the emergency sealant pack tucked away within her suit. She nearly dropped the kit as she drew it from her pocket and the layer of Medi-Gel she applied to the bullet wound was slick and messy, much like the temporary suit re-seal that followed it. Tali was beyond caring, struggling to focus her attention on amplifying the levels of immuno-boosters in her blood. Adjusting the values via her Omni-Tool took the remainder of the elevator ride and by the time it came to a halt Tali was starting to shiver, despite the layer of hot sweat that seemed to soak her entire body. Her legs felt as if they didn't belong to her as she stumbled out of the lift and her head pounded violently, a sure sign of the fever worsening.

_I have to get out of here, get help. Go to the Wards, won't think to look there_. A subtle voice told her they would but Tali dismissed it as the antibiotics started to take hold. _It's probably the only place on the station where I'll find a doctor who doesn't care who he treats. And speaking of station...where am I?_ The quarian looked around, taking stock of her surroundings for the first time since stepping off the elevator. A narrow walkway stretched out in front of her and on either side of its railings were a selection of off-ramps, each guarded by a C-Sec officer. The ramps led down to an open bay filled with a wide selection of airspeeders from all the executive manufacturers. Most lay silent and untended but a few had small maintenance & valet crews buzzing around them. The far side of the speeder garage glowed and flickered with a blue containment shield, behind which the arms of the Citadel stretched out into the distance. Tali could hardly believe her luck. _Now I've just got to make it past those officers._

Pausing briefly to wipe away the crusting layer of blood on the outside of her suit as best she could, Tali headed for the nearest ramp, knowing that the longer she delayed, the more likely an alert about her presence would be put out by the officers back on the main floor. Thoughts were forming in her head in spite of the incessant throbbing there and as she neared the first guardsman, a pale-skinned human with golden hair, Tali made as if to move straight past him.  
"Hold on a sec, your kind aren't allowed to wander around on Council territory!"  
Tali immediately rounded on him, eyes dark and narrow behind the glass of her helmet. "'My kind'? Is that how all humans treat dignitaries from other races?"  
The rebuke had the desired effect, the human's weight transferring to his back foot as he suddenly shied away from the vicious glare.  
"Dignitary? But...I didn't...the quarians haven't had an embassy on the Citadel for years."  
"Do you see me carrying an embassy with me?" Replied Tali scathingly, spreading her arms as though to indicate the lack of a building and immediately hating herself for the movement. "Just because my people are denied a diplomatic mission does not mean we are not allowed to maintain interest in foreign affairs."  
"I...of course, my apologies ambassador." Muttered the abashed human as he stepped back into position, much to the mirth of his turian opposite number.  
"Indeed." Said Tali with an ire she didn't feel. Even maintaining the rigid, offended posture as she marched away was taking a toll on her body and it was only through force of will that the engineer managed to disappear in amongst the slew of aircars before she sank down onto her knees.

She told herself it was only to hack the alarms on the car door and yet even as she tapped away on her Omni-Tool and the car door eventually popped open, Tali could feel her body's reluctance to move. Fortunately the aircar decided the issue for her, the rising wing nearly sending her sprawling and forcing her to scrambled aside. Seizing the moment before her body slumped back into inactivity again Tali clambered inside as best she could, grunting with the effort of pulling herself in one-handed. As the door lowered with a pneumatic hiss Tali hit the ignition. The aircar came to life with the soft purring of well-maintained machinery, the noise quiet compared to the ancient engines Tali was used to but still loud enough to attract attention. At first her slow takeoff drew only a glance from the poor human officer she'd bluffed her way past and then, as she manipulated the controls and brought the expensive vehicle into a slow hover, Tali noticed every officer in the room bend their heads slightly at an angle. She realised with a start that they were focusing on their earpieces just as the general alert finished being relayed. None of the agents wasted any time responding, their weapons came up immediately and with her aircar floating gently halfway across the hangar, Tali was the first thing they went for. Warning messages immediately sprung up on the tightbeam communicator and even through the insulated canopy of the executive car, Tali could hear the muffled shouting.  
"Lockdown protocol, land your vehicle!"  
"We've got her, down in the garage!"  
"Close the hanger doors, seal the exits!"

Tali hesitated, caught in indecision. _If I land they'll take me into custody for what happened upstairs. They'll arrest me for immigration at the minimum and take the data, which means I'll have nothing to bargain with. Even if I do get medical treatment, whoever's after this information will still want me dead even if I don't have it anymore. Maybe for revenge, tying up loose ends, it doesn't matter. With me in C-Sec custody, it won't be difficult for them to find me. _Her mind abruptly made up Tali gunned the engine and the aircar obediently shot forward. Down below the shouts abruptly became hostile and a few well-placed shots rang off the hull of the aircar, tarnishing the red/gold paint job. With no room to manoeuvre the car in the confined space without ending up in the ceiling Tali could only hold the straight line she had taken, applying as much power to the mass-generators as she dared. Ahead the containment field had begun to shrink as a pair of giant doors, each half as thick as the car she piloted, rumbled across the bay entrance. The fear of not knowing if she'd make it through in time was swiftly overridden by the desperation of having no other choice and Tali urged the aircar on, minutely adjusting the flight path to slip between the oncoming metal mammoths mere seconds before they clanged shut.

Tali gave herself no time to savour the small victory, swinging the aircar into the traffic lanes that ran around the Citadel at the first opportunity. Allowing the autopilot to briefly assume control Tali activated the onboard navigation system while she could still think and seconds later, the quarian had a new objective. Deciding that the safest bet was to assume the aircar was being placed on high-alert lists even now Tali abandoned caution entirely and began zipping through the lanes at almost double the enforced speed limit. Fortunately her luck held and after many complaints from other pilots but no encounters with C-Sec patrol units, Tali came within range of her destination. The aircar swooped down towards the Shalata Ward arm beneath her with dizzying speed. Acutely aware that the adrenaline was beginning to fade from her system, taking with it her reaction time, Tali slowed considerably as she began moving amidst the Ward's taller structures. Skyscrapers and tower blocks slipped past her but she had no eyes for them, her attention solely on spotting the highlighted speeder garage.

Moments later it appeared, the haze of its containment shield identical to the one she'd just fled. Tali moved toward it immediately, gently cutting back on the throttle as the aircar slipped into the garage's protective bubble. Her luck seemed to be holding, the only queue was of those trying to get out of the structure. The hunt for a parking place was the only delay but eventually movement caught her tired eye as another car lifted out of a space not far from the elevators. Jumping on the opportunity, the first car had barely pulled away when Tali slid her stolen ride in and dropped it into place. Shutting down the systems and praying that the owner didn't have a tracking system installed Tali activated the swing door and stepped out of the vehicle, then promptly fell back against its flank.

Her legs felt as if they didn't belong to her, almost completely numb to any sensation of impact from the ground. Wishing she could simply rub her temples to try and alleviate the persistent migraine and cursing the envirosuit for the umpteenth time Tali slowly flexed each leg and gently stamped the uncooperative limbs on the ground until some measure of feeling was restored. _I'm going to have to move on them sooner or later. _Tali thought reluctantly and stepped away from the car as slowly as she dared, her gait awkward and constantly on the urge of stumbling. She had made it most of the way to the elevators when a distinctly salarian voice called out.  
"You can't just leave that car here, there are parking fees you know!" Warned the parking attendant in a nasal tone common to his species.  
Tali paused reluctantly, feeling her headache increase with every passing second. "Five thousand credits and it's yours." She muttered, turning to face the salarian.  
The alien scoffed, but ill though she was Tali hadn't missed the sly look he'd shot at the executive vehicle. "Do I look like I carry five thousand on me?"  
"Four thousand then, or I take it to the guy outside instead."  
"Done!" Declared the salarian quickly, stepping forward and pressing the credits into Tali's outstretched palm.  
Leaving the aircar's new and likely very temporary owner to fawn over his latest possession Tali stuffed the money into one of the less recognizable pockets of her suit and staggered towards the elevators. The wait for one to reach her floor and the subsequent ride down to surface level took a lot out of her and by the time Tali stepped out of the lift she was on the last vestiges of her strength. The agonizing, red-hot pain that encompassed the wound had faded and now she could feel little from that arm, a fact that part of her recognized to be a bad sign. It took all her remaining strength and will to take steps across the indoor concourses, her headache now so severe that she could barely hold her eyes up against the light, restricted to squinting instead.

The infection was getting worse and Tali could no longer deny that something was wrong; the virus shouldn't have been spreading so quickly. Somewhere in the back of her mind an insistent voice was warning her that time was running very short and she tried her best to heed it, staggering through the narrow corridors of the Ward arm with single-minded determination. Tali didn't know where she was going anymore and the only word that ran through her head was 'help' but these people were just like the ones on the Presidium, content to ignore her presence as they passed her by. The quarian couldn't say what they looked like or even what species they belonged to. Someone even stopped in front of her and tried to sell her something but quickly abandoned the idea when his efforts evoked no response from the impaired girl. Slowly, painfully, Tali made her way through the Wards step by step in a daze. Stunning vistas and heaving crowds all disappeared into the background haze, leaving the quarian with no memory of the spectacular sight she'd been promised upon visiting the Wards. Tali could feel her legs growing heavier with every ponderous step, the urge to just stop and sit growing to overpowering levels. Then suddenly she glimpsed something that reached deep into the recesses of her beleaguered mind and gave her pause.

A glowing neon arrow ran across the breadth of the hallway ahead, highlighting an opaque glass door that split apart at her touch. Tali'Zorah managed two steps inside before her strength finally gave out and she collapsed onto the floor. The cool surface of the metal was oddly soothing and she could feel her heavy-lidded eyes slowly sinking shut as she lay face down on the ground. She tried to fight it but her body refused to obey her mind, the sleep nearly taking her over when a sudden pressure on her left arm provoked a stab of pain that drew a frail moan from her lips. Not having the strength to fight the probing fingers off Tali was powerless to resist as another hand took hold of her hip and together with her shoulder, gently rolled the stricken girl onto her back. Near blinded by the stark brightness of the ceiling lights Tali could just make out the outline of a human face hovering above her and she strained to listen as best she could as slurred voices toyed with her hearing.  
"She's feverish and that looks like an emergency suit repair, must be an infection, some kind of wound." Declared the human, the words distorted but clear enough for Tali to guess the speaker was female. "The virus is pretty far along though."  
A second voice echoed in the distance but Tali was unable to make out the words.  
"I don't know, she looks pretty bad but we're going to try. Help me get her up on the table."  
"Geth data." Mumbled Tali desperately as strong hands took hold of her. "Shooting. Trade. Place to hide."  
"Geth data?" Questioned the second voice, the clipped words decipherable for the first time. "What is she muttering about?"  
"Shush," the woman soothed as Tali felt herself being cautiously being lifted into the air, "you're safe here, we'll help you."  
"You sure about that Chloe?" Insisted the second person. "She doesn't look the rich type. Remember what happened at your last job when you gave away free meds?"  
"Quiet Jerit." The woman's voice sounded very far away as the room around Tali began to spin alarmingly. "She's going to die if we don't help her."  
The fear Tali had expected at the pronunciation failed to materialize. Instead only one thought passed through her mind before the darkness took her.  
_Keelah._


	38. Chapter 38: Treatment

**Chapter 38 – Treatment  
**When Tali'Zorah eventually regained consciousness there was no sign of the red-haired human she thought she had glimpsed in her fever dreams, no sign of anyone at all in fact. It was clear that she'd ended up somewhere though, even if recalling exactly where was information her brain refused to divulge. The quarian's reawakening was slow, her body's reluctance to comply battling an instinctual willing from deep within. Silvery eyes eventually flickered open, the owner moaning and squinting at the harsh white light that awaited her. Blinking furiously as her eyes attempted to adjust to the brightness of the room Tali slowly began to form a picture of her surroundings. She lay atop a narrow bed, her body all but hidden under soft white sheets. Her left arm was the only exception, instead supported on a small, upraised rail that ran the length of the bed. That side of the room contained little more than a blank wall but to her right was a small divider that connected with the supporting column at the foot of the bed. Tali could make out little more than that without trying to move, though a sixth sense told her that whatever space lay behind her was off somehow. She couldn't summon the urge to investigate and not even the strange, unfamiliar scent being borne on the breeze could convince her wracked body to move unless it had to.

A sudden flicker of movement caught her attention instead and Tali looked up to see the red-haired woman from her dreams walking around the support column. Her attention seemed fixated on the datapad in her hand and it was only as she drew closer that her striking green eyes opened wide with surprised as she took in the faint reflections of Tali's eyes against her visor. A relieved smile immediately appeared, abruptly making the woman look far younger than she had just seconds ago. "Good, you're awake! How are you feeling?"  
"Weak," replied Tali with a tongue that felt swollen, "how long was I-?"  
"Just under a day." The human replied, crossing to the bedside and consulting the nest of medical machinery there. "You've been sleeping for most of it."  
"I've been asleep for an entire day?" Tali said in horror.  
"It's only natural," explained the doctor, misinterpreting the quarian's concerns, "your body has been through a lot of trauma in the last few hours, the rest gave it time to repair some of the damage."  
"No you don't understand," muttered Tali as she made to get up out of the bed, "I can't stay here, they're looking for me."  
Suddenly a pair of hands arrested her ascent and she found herself being gently but firmly being pushed back down onto the medical bed. "Wait," warned the human as Tali briefly fought to rise but abruptly collapsed when what little strength she had failed her almost immediately, "your fever might have broken but your body's got a lot of work to do to repair all the damage. If I let you go now you wouldn't make it to the end of the street outside."  
Tali remained still for a moment as she contemplated the human's words and eventually sank back against the flat pillows reluctantly. "There are people looking for me," she tried to explain, "they want to kill me."  
"The people who shot you?" The memory suddenly came flooding back and Tali's eyes fell to her arm though she couldn't see anything under the protective suit. "Don't worry," comforted the woman standing above her, "I got you into the cleanest environment I have while I patched it back up. The medi-gel you applied helped save your life and I repaired the suit as best I could. It's not pretty, but your seals should be intact."

Tali wasn't sure how to respond at first. The human had trespassed so severely she probably wasn't aware of it. Being invited to touch the skin of another quarian was amongst the most intimate of rituals her people had and the fact that this strange human had dared do so without permission felt like an intrusion beyond measure. But rationally Tali understood that there was no way the woman could have known this and given that the surgery had likely saved her life, she decided it was best not to mention it. "I...thank you. I didn't think anyone would know how to repair an envirosuit breach."  
A faint smile crossed the woman's lips. "You're not the first quarian I've treated. My name is Chloe by the way, Dr. Chloe Michel."  
"Tali'Zorah." Replied her patient. "Am...am I in a hospital?"  
"No," said Chloe with a faint tang of bitterness, "this is only a small clinic, most of the hospitals are either on the Presidium or much further along the Ward arms. In fact, you're the only patient I have just now."  
Tali's eyes followed the motion of the doctor's arm as she swept her Omni-Tool across the quarian's body, a shaft of orange light following the movement. "Does anyone else know I'm here?"  
"Just my assistant, Jerit. He was here when you first arrived but he usually just covers the night shift for me." Seemingly satisfied with the machine's prognosis, Chloe shut down the Omni-Tool and crossed her arms around her torso. "So, what's this all about?"

Tali remained silent for a moment before responding, unsure as to how much she could trust the doctor. _She's gone out of her way to save my life and she's only asked for this in return so far, but by now there's probably some kind of reward out on my head, maybe even from C-Sec after what happened in the embassies. What if she learns about it and turns me in?_ The quarian thought hard about what she'd heard when she'd first stumbled into the clinic, the fragmented conversation seeming distant and dreamlike now. _Something about not being able to pay for the meds? That means she probably needs the credits too._ Yet somehow, despite all the doubts Tali felt obligated to give her a reply of some kind.  
"I have something that someone wants," Tali began, choosing her words carefully, "something that they're willing to kill me to get."  
"Something about the geth?" Michel shook her head knowingly at Tali's surprise. "You were muttering about it when we brought you in."  
_So much for keeping it to myself._ "Then I guess you already know the basics." Tali paused to adjust her posture, thinking again how best to proceed. The last thing she wanted was to make Ren'Gerrel a target as well. "To make a long story short I'm on my Pilgrimage, a rite of passage for my people, and came across a geth patrol on an uncharted planet a few days ago. When I landed to investigate I managed to isolate one of the geth units and extract it's memory core. It had a recording inside, a turian talking about..." Tali paused to think, "Eden Prime being a major victory, and something about finding a Conduit."  
Her words seemed to strike the doctor like a physical blow and she took a step back, her already pale face suddenly ashen. "Eden Prime? My God..."  
"What is it?" Asked Tali, realising even in her sluggish state that something was terribly wrong.  
"You don't know?" Chloe asked, voice muffled by the hand over her mouth.  
The quarian shook her head gently, wincing at the slight but persistent headache.  
"Eden Prime..." Dr. Michel stopped and pulled up a nearby chair before starting again. "It's one of the first colonies humanity founded, an icon of hope and peace for my people, our first real claim to the stars. I've never been but it's got a reputation for being one of the most beautiful worlds of its kind, or...it used to."  
"What do you mean?"  
Michel swallowed, visibly steeling herself before continuing. "It was attacked a few days ago by the geth, they killed so many...They even laid explosive charges to demolish the entire colony and it was only because the Alliance had a special forces team in the area that it's still standing now."  
"The geth attacked an _Alliance_ colony world?" Tali's mouth was agape at the notion. "So far from the Perseus veil?"  
Michel nodded soberly. "At first we could hardly believe the news reports either but then the footage starting coming in, what little there was of it. It was the geth, there's no doubt about it."

Tali's head swam. She had known the geth were outside of the Perseus Veil already but not in sufficient numbers to launch an attack, and on an Alliance colony no less. The implications were beyond measure; one thing she was certain of, it could only have terrible repercussions for her people.  
Dr. Michel seemed lost in thoughts of her own and it was some time before she spoke again. "Whatever that data you have is, you can be sure the council will want to know about it."  
"They don't." Said Tali quietly, drawing a surprised look from her saviour. "I already tried, right after I got shot. The man at the desk didn't believe me, said he'd have me thrown off the station."  
Michel shook her head, incredulous. "Did you show him the recording?"  
"I...didn't have time, they were coming for me."  
"Who was?"  
"I don't know," replied Tali slowly, aware that even talking was taking up most of her energy at this point, "they've been hunting me ever since I found the memory core. They finally caught up with me on the Presidium within hours of my ship arriving...I thought I'd lost them."  
The doctor seemed to recognize that her patient was struggling to remain conscious. Biting her lip and holding her remaining questions for another time, Chloe reluctantly moved away. "We can continue this another time, when you're feeling up to it. Get some rest for now Tali'Zorah, I'll make sure no one finds you here."  
The wounded engineer was already slipping back into sleep's embrace but as the human stepped around the chest-high divider a soft voice touched her ears.  
"Thank you."

* * *

The next time Tali awoke Dr. Michel was busy ordering a prescription for a volus client and after performing a brief check to be sure Tali's condition hadn't worsened, promised she would return as soon as she could. For her part the quarian used the few moments of peace to form her own verdict on her body's condition. She felt infinitely better than the last time she'd been conscious, the persistent headache and strain of keeping her eyes open all but gone now. A bit of experimenting proved that the weary muscles had also begun to return to normal though an insistent soreness seemed to permeate her entire body. It took a little extra motivation for Tali to convince herself to gently flex the damaged muscles in her left bicep though when she eventually did, the engineer was surprised to feel little trace of the injury beyond a few sharp pangs. Pleased but unwilling to push her luck Tali laid the arm back down and brought up the interface for her suit VI, navigating the menus until she had a 3-D scan of her arm up on the inside of her visor. _There's barely a mark left to show I was ever shot in the first place._ Thought the quarian in wonderment as she gazed at the visual representation of her flesh and muscle tissue. _I remember the stories about what Medi-Gel could do but to see it in action..._

"I'm sorry about that," said a familiar voice, immediately prompting Tali to discreetly close down her interface, "I came as soon as I could."  
"It's fine," replied Tali as Dr. Michel crossed over to her, "you've already done more than enough for me."  
"Well you're not quite 100% so as far as I'm concerned my job isn't done just yet." Chloe answered. "Now, how are you feeling this morning, better?"  
"Much," said Tali, pleased that her voice no longer sounded quite so stuffed up, "I think my fever broke in the night."  
"It did," Chloe confirmed, "another day and I think you'll be back on your feet again."  
"Another day? I feel like I could manage myself right now."  
"Better to be sure than to push yourself and wind up back here in a few hours." Michel replied, taking readings from the medical scanners with practised efficiency. "And if you're thinking what I think you are, an extra day won't hurt."

Tali eyed the human for a moment, debating whether or not to say what she was thinking before abruptly deciding that she was already in the woman's debt. "Actually I was thinking how surprised I am that you haven't called C-Sec by now." She stated, watching carefully for the response.  
Michel paused. Her head fell with a quiet sigh and she turned to make eye contact with her patient. "Honestly the thought had crossed my mind. Not long after we first patched you up an alert went around the local clinics and hospitals on this Ward, a notice that if anyone had a quarian matching your description coming in for treatment we were to alert the authorities at once. Apparently you are wanted for questioning about an incident on council property."

Tali absorbed the information without comment, having already expected to hear revelations of this kind. "So why didn't you?"

Michel smiled wanly. "I was half-way through placing the call when a thought struck me; even if C-Sec had been chasing you they couldn't possibly have been the ones to have shot you. I know people there, there's no way the Council would sanction them using polonium rounds."  
Tali's brow furrowed slightly. "Using what?"  
"Polonium rounds. They are toxic bullets designed to weaken the victim to infection and debilitating diseases." Explained the doctor. "The effect amplifies with each subsequent wound and given that you are a quarian, any more hits would likely have killed you before you got here. Even with just one wound, you making it to my clinic in the first place was nothing short of a miracle."  
Tali sank back against the pillows again, suddenly very acutely aware of her own mortality. She listened with only half an ear as Chloe continued.  
"Once I put two and two together then I guessed that even if C-Sec did want you for questioning any call I placed would probably alert the people who _did_ shoot you, I couldn't chance it without better understanding the situation. And when I spoke to you yesterday about what had happened I decided we had both been very fortunate."

Her confession over Chloe rubbed her left arm awkwardly and gradually turned her gaze back on the monitoring station but though she stared directly at the readouts her mind was clearly elsewhere. Finally, Tali broke the spell. "Then I owe you twice for saving my life."  
"This is my job," replied Michel with a weak smile, "you don't owe me anything except to stay alive once you leave."  
Tali's wry look was evident in her body language alone. "Given all that's happened I can't really make promises."  
"There's always a way out." Replied the doctor confidently. "Humans have a saying, 'never say never'."  
"Quarians have one too, 'surviving doesn't have the same definition as winning'."  
"Perhaps," conceded Michel, "but I think all we need is to find you a way out."  
"I've been thinking about it nonstop all the time I've been awake," replied Tali, "and I _still_ haven't thought of anything."  
Dr. Michel suddenly snapped her fingers, the unfamiliar gesture catching the quarian off-guard. "What about the Shadow Broker?"  
"Who?"  
"The Shadow Broker, he's an information trader, the most infamous in all the galaxy. The volus who came in for his prescription this morning mentioned him, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner."  
"And what makes you think he can help?"  
"The Shadow Broker is known to pay highly for information he thinks is valuable and after what happened to Eden Prime data like yours will likely be worth a great deal."  
"If he's as infamous as you say he might already know I have the data," Tali pointed out, "he might even be the one who sent these assassins after me in the first place. I can't see how dealing with him will help."  
Michel appeared deep in thought and when she spoke again her words were hesitant, carefully weighed. "The Broker has a reputation to keep, if it's true that he sent assassins after you then he risks word getting out, especially if you present yourself as a client looking to trade. People will find out, hopefully perceive it as a betrayal and they won't want to do business with him any longer; damage like that can take a long time to repair, even for the Broker."  
Tali'Zorah eyed the human warily. "You really believe it will work?"  
Chloe smiled. "What have you got to lose by trying?"  
Tali was silent as she thought it over but eventually she looked up at the green eyes above her and nodded. "You're right," she agreed, "it's the best option I have right now. The only question is how to contact him."  
"Leave that to me," replied Chloe, "I know a few people."

* * *

"We have it." Dr. Michel finally declared, pushing herself away from her terminal with a contented smile.  
Tali looked up from across the room, body still bent over from re-strapping the freshly sharpened combat knife to her calf. "We do?"  
Chloe nodded. "There's a bar down in the Wards, Chora's Den. It's not the safest of places, as a matter of fact the owner is a local crime lord, but Fist is also employed by the Shadow Broker. If you can contact him, he'll be able to arrange a meeting."  
Tali flexed her arm for the umpteenth time that day, testing the strength of the repaired muscles beneath. Michel watched with a professional eye, happy that she had succeeded in her work. "So this Fist runs Chora's Den?"  
"Yes," replied Chloe, "I've never had the urge to visit myself but it's a pretty seedy place from what I hear. It's what we humans might call a 'gentleman's club', though the definition never made much sense to me."  
Tali nodded, though she kept her thoughts to herself. _A bar with a reputation run by a known criminal? And I'm supposed to just walk in there and demand an audience with the data core in my pocket? I don't think so. _Sealing the last of her extraneous pouches and affixing her pistol and shotgun back into place, the added weight making the quarian infinitely more comfortable, Tali turned to offer the doctor her hand. "Thank you, Dr. Michel, for everything. It's rare that my people get to thank another species for saving their life."  
Chloe rose from her chair and shook the outstretched hand warmly, the oddness of five digits against three ever apparent. "You are welcome. As I said before, I'm only doing my job. So long as I don't see you back here in a few days, I will be happy."  
"Hopefully it won't come to that." Said Tali as she moved to the door, pausing at the threshold to look about the small, empty clinic. "Are you sure you're going to be able to cope when I leave, with all these patients to take care of?"  
The thin smile ringed with tired wrinkles and stress lines appeared once more. "I think I'll be able to cope Tali'Zorah, though I'm sure it won't be long before someone comes to cause me trouble again." The doctor stood, her outline framed by the window full of pink trees behind. "Good luck."  
"Keelah Se'lai doctor."


	39. Chapter 39: A New Kind of Pilgrimage

**Chapter 39 – A New Kind of Pilgrimage  
**"Are you bulling me?" The challenge reverberated throughout the small office, loud enough for the two guards outside to share a knowing glance.  
Inside, a second voice shook with terror. "N-no boss, I ain't bullin' nobody."  
"You're bulling me!" The square-faced human roared, blue eyes glinting with anger. "You come into my office with your tail between your legs and dare to tell me that you couldn't collect a payment from some pissing salarians?!"  
"It's not like that boss," the other human, a pale skinned and spindly-built wretch, tried to argue, "me and Mikey, we got bushwhacked after we picked up the creds. Someone was watchin' us Fist, they knew when to jump us."  
"And you didn't notice?! That's why I sent two of you, you stupid sack of-" The crime boss cut himself off with a snarl of frustration, unable to believe that someone could fleece him out of his own business so easily. _Now thanks to this snivelling coward I look like an idiot in my own backyard._ Infuriated, Fist took a threatening step towards the dark-haired thug who subconsciously shrank away from his master's presence. "Where the hell _is_ Mikey? Why isn't he here with you?"  
The other man's tongue protruded for a brief second as he wet his lips but no response came.  
"Well?!" Fist demanded.  
"He uh..." the thug faltered, eyes darting about the room to try and escape the pinning gaze of his employer, "they got him boss, right in the back. We never saw nuthin' I swear!"  
"Oh brilliant! So now you're telling me I'm not only out of cash but one of my guys just got blown away on my own turf, is that what you're telling me?"  
Unsure of how to respond, the man wiped a streak of perspiration from his brow and gave a noncommittal nod.  
"You know what that means?" Demanded Fist. "It means C-Sec's gonna come poking all around my operations for the next month trying to find out what we're running down here. Hell, you being such a moron might even give them the reason they need to take me down!" His shouts now more akin to bellows, Fist punctuated his words with a sharp right-hander which sent the smaller man sprawling.

In the midst of the criminal's fury the terminal on his desk pinged loudly, providing a brief respite for the employee who was slowly picking himself up off the ground. Turning his rage on the interruption Fist stormed around the desk and keyed the connection open. "What?" He demanded, nostrils flaring as he slammed both hands on the desk and caused the contents to jump.  
"Boss, it's Gurchab. Main hotline just got a call that got the attention of my boys, they fronted it up to me-"  
"So deal with it!" Fist roared in exasperation, his temper having long since evaporated.  
The batarian voice at the other end of the line faltered slightly but continued before the crime lord could sever the connection. "Would if I could Boss but this girl's talking about things I don't know anything about. Says she wants to talk to you, makes out she has that special something you're looking for."  
"What the hell is she, some kind of second-rate whore? Tell her to apply in person like everyone else and get off the line already numbnuts!"  
"You don't get it Boss," Gurchab tried desperately, "she says she found it on some 'very advanced VI's' and that she knows you have people that might be interested in it." The batarian voice hesitated. "Do you think she means the Boss, Boss?"  
"Gurchab?" Fist muttered, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose with ever-increasing tightness.  
"Yes Boss?"  
"Shut up."  
"Yes Boss."

The sound of Gurchab's heavy breathing over the line suddenly became very apparent as Fist contemplated his next move. He took a half-step around the desk, intending to pace as he often did when trying to think and the movement suddenly brought the admonished thug back into his view. The crime lord's eyes widened briefly as he struggled to remember why the other man was standing there, rigid and with a thin dribble of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Abruptly the memory came back and Fist snarled making the other human jump. "What are you still doing here? Get the hell out before I do more than decide to dock your wages for the next month!" The thug bolted for the door immediately, almost tripping over himself in his efforts to escape his master's wrath. Fist growled as the door slid shut behind him, the entry lights darkening to match his mood. Turning his attention to the mystery caller, Fist circled back around his desk and began to pace, his fingers drumming an unsteady beat against the knuckles of the hand tucked into the small of his back.

He knew immediately what the call was about of course, he had been told to expect it. He also knew exactly how he should answer the call and who he should contact about it afterwards. The Shadow Broker had made it clear that he would look very favourably upon the agent who brought him this particular piece of information. Normally an opportunity such as this would be a no brainer but this time, the circumstances were very different. Only days ago Fist had received a mysterious communiqué from a sender he did not recognize, the message implanted directly on his terminal despite the network of filters and agents he employed to secure his internal systems. Fist remembered well his increasing astonishment as the contents explained the exact objective and parameters of the assignment he had received from the Shadow Broker himself only days before. The difference was that this message offered significantly more credits than the Broker, a claim that Fist readily ignored. He knew better than to betray his all-knowing employer for the sake of a few extra creds. The real hook however was further on. The message promised power and opportunity far greater than any Fist had ever hoped to attain with the Broker and strangely, the favour of an unidentified benefactor. The crime lord had set his best men to tracing the message's source immediately thereafter and though they found the origin easily enough the research company in question was so clearly a front that nobody put any stock in it. Unfortunately the tracks were well hidden after that, to the point that Fist's men could find no clue whatsoever pointing to the true source. Fist had known though. The moment he'd seen the research company's name a cold shiver had ran the length of his spine. He'd seen it used once before in his dealings on behalf of the Broker and back then he'd been privileged enough to learn the identity of the individual behind it. Fist was left in no doubt, the message had come from a turian. One very particular turian in fact, a man who had broken records to become the council's youngest turian spectre operative. "Saren Arterius." The human whispered, still struggling to comprehend the power of the words and the scale of the opportunity they held.

"Say again Boss? This girl's still trying to get through to you in my other ear..."  
Fist sighed to himself and sat down in the executive, genuine leather chair he'd had specially imported. "Patch it through Gurchab but encrypt it with everything we have first. I don't want a word of this conversation getting out, through the extranet or otherwise." The malice that coated the last few words did not go missed.  
"Yes Boss, transferring now."  
Things went quiet on the line again as the batarian followed his orders. Seconds later the tone of the static abruptly deepened, the change signifying a new signal source. Interlocking his fingers in a steeple formation, Fist stared hard at the blank data screen in front of him. "This is Fist."  
Gurchab had been right. Though the voice at the other end was distorted, it held a distinctly girlish quality. "How do I know that?"  
"Because I'm telling you," The criminal replied, "and nobody else here would dare try and pass off as me if they valued their lives. Now I'm told that you have something for me, save us some time and get to the point."  
"Not you," the voice corrected, "the Shadow Broker."  
Fist's lip curled up in a complacent sneer. "No one gets to see the Broker."  
"Well I think it's time he made an exception, unless he wants to have a certain recording handed over to the Alliance Ambassador and screened on every news channel from here to the Terminus Systems by nightfall."  
The crime lord blinked in surprise. Whoever this woman was, she had more balls than most of the morons in his employ. "You don't understand." He replied, forcing himself to slack off on his natural hostility in an attempt to placate the girl. "The Broker employs agents like me to act in his stead, I'm perfectly capable of negotiating some kind of deal with-"  
"You're not very smart are you Fist? You set up a meeting between me and the Broker; he gets his information and I get protection. That's all there is to this."  
A thunderous scowl settled on the human's face at the insult. _Congratulations bitch, now you've made it personal._ "Protection from who?" He demanded.  
The other person seemed to hesitate for a second. "The Broker isn't the only one interested in what I have." Said the girl. "If he wants it he'll have to convince me I can disappear once this is over."  
Fist took a measure of confidence from the revelation. If she was as desperate as she seemed he should be able to regain control of the conversation with ease. "Alright listen," he began, "I should be able to get you what you want. You know where my place is, right?"  
The voice at the other end was sardonic. "If you think I'm walking in there-"  
"You're not." Fist declared, his hands tightening with the desire to get at this girl. "There's a back alley nearby, right between the Den and the markets. I'll meet you there two days from now at 14:13 exactly. I'll have the Broker with me by then."  
"Two days from now is a long time." Said the voice dubiously.  
"The Broker can't just drop everything all at once. Two days is the best I can do and that's _if_ you have what he's looking for."  
"I wouldn't be calling you if I didn't."  
"Let me hear it," demanded Fist, "and if I'm not satisfied, the Broker won't be." Despite feeling in control of the situation, a thin bead of sweat trickled from the man's brow. _It damn well better be it, I'm not risking my life over-  
_"Eden Prime was a major victory." Declared a baritone turian suddenly, causing Fist to sit bolt upright in shock. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit." The crime boss' eyes were as wide as a krogan's bicep as the line faded into static. _Shit! That voice! It's Saren, there's no mistaking it!_Fist sank back into his chair in horror, mentally reeling at the multitude of implications the revelation held.

"I take it you're satisfied then?" The woman's voice prompted a moment later.  
Still stunned, Fist fought to work his both his mind and his mouth. "It...yes. We'll have to check it again at the meet, but it's good enough for now."  
"I'm sure it is." The woman replied snarkily, almost as though she knew exactly the kind of effect the recording had had on him. "Two days, and if the Broker's not there I'll take it to somebody who really wants it."  
"He'll be there," snapped Fist quickly and immediately berated himself for succumbing to such an obvious ploy, "You have my word."  
"He'd better." Said the voice, sounding smug even through the distortions. A moment later, the line went dead.  
The human said nothing. It was only after he'd re-opened his hibernating terminal and made sure the connection was completely severed that Fist allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. It did little to allay his tensions, his mind still thundering with the stresses of the last few hours. Fist knew things weren't going to get easier anytime soon, if anything the real dangers were about to make themselves very apparent. Reaching for a desk drawer Fist withdrew a thin packet of cigarettes and lit one with trembling hands before taking a long drag of the calming fumes.

He slowly considered his exchange with the woman, how he'd responded so quickly when she'd threatened to take the recording elsewhere. A dark scowl passed over him. He'd handed the initiative back to her in that moment, made it clear that he desperately needed what she had, that she held the real power in the negotiation. The woman was smart, she'd known it too. Fist sank back in his chair, planting his feet on the desk as the curling wisps of smoke began to soothe his brittle nerves. A little voice in the back of his mind told him that this woman was not to be underestimated but he disregarded it immediately. She wouldn't be his concern, the responsibility for her elimination would lie with Saren and the crime lord had little doubt that the turian Spectre would deliver. Fist shook his head at the thought of the council agent, certain of what he'd heard but struggling to believe it. _A council Spectre, a turian spectre no less, orchestrating an attack on humanity's poster colony world?_ Fist blew a geyser of smoke from his nostrils. Small wonder Saren wanted the recording so badly, if the broker got his hands on it that sound byte could spell anything from blackmail to interstellar war. Briefly Fist considered playing one side against the other for personal gain but rejected the notion almost as fast. Trying to manipulate men like Saren and the Shadow Broker? He'd be dead within a week. Betraying the Broker alone was a massive risk but the lure of Saren's promises of power outweighed the dangers in Fist's mind. He'd have to abandon what he had, go into hiding to escape the Broker's wrath but Saren would appreciate his efforts and no doubt reward him accordingly.

His unease dissipating further with every drag of the cigarette Fist reached for his terminal and brought up the secure line Saren had provided him with. It was a matter of moments to type up the short missive, the text containing little more than the date, time and place. With the cigarette clamped firmly between his thin lips, Fist transmitted the message. A slow grin lit up vicious eyes. It was time for the crime lord to make his mark on the galaxy.

* * *

The entire time Tali had been negotiating with Fist the quarian had been on edge and now, almost twenty-four hours later, she felt no safer. She had spent the remainder of the day travelling to the part of the Wards that housed Chora's Den and examining the area where Fist had scheduled the meet. The journey there had been dangerous enough, not because of assassins but the need to avoid C-Sec patrols and guard stations. Tali had been forced to delve into areas of the Wards that were clearly for the lower castes, many of the alleys and side streets she was forced to take being filled with unsavoury characters. Fortunately they seemed more interested in their own affairs than the passing quarian, though once she'd had to ward off a lecherous human who'd clearly had too much to drink in one of the nearby bars. Even when she'd finally reached her destination Tali had been on constant alert, aware that her close proximity to the notorious Chora's Den could lead her into all manners of trouble. Luckily she'd been able to study the area in relative peace, the only other being present was one of the Citadel keepers, a thoroughly alien looking species that had been present on the Citadel long before the asari had even discovered it. They were odd, buglike creatures, silent and industrious though exactly what their role was on the station still hadn't been explained, even after millennia of Citadel occupation. Tali had paid it little mind as she committed as much of the alleyway to memory as possible, eventually leaving the area once she felt reasonably satisfied. At least there were no obvious alcoves or side passages Fist could use to spring an ambush.

The rest of the night she'd spent fitfully dozing in a turian shelter, sleeping with one eye open, never really resting. She'd picked it on the basis that it would hopefully be the last place a turian assassin would think to look and judging by the fact that she was still alive the following morning, Tali figured she'd guessed correctly. A few hours of exploring the Wards had given her the opportunity to stock up on dextro-based food tubes and a chance to test the new programs she'd illicitly installed on her Omni-Tool the previous night. Purchasing the programs had cost her most of her remaining funds but Tali knew it was an investment she could not afford to pass up. She'd known they worked within seconds of downloading them from her nameless supplier, using the packets of code to eliminate all traces of the transaction on her Omni-Tool. She had used them again later that day, allowing the financial blockers to remove the sale of the synth-tubes from the shopkeeper's records. Tali did her best to ignore the guilty feeling that arose as she left the turian-run shop, telling herself that her actions would have little impact on the seller and would serve to keep her off the Citadel databases for a while longer at least.

Now Tali sat alone in the quiet corner of a small lounge area on one of the staircase landings, the well-worn seating being the first real comfort she'd felt in days. A large window framed a small section of the Citadel's arms behind her, the mixture of blues and purples from the nebula cloud helping to hide the outline of her suit against the navy couch. It was the first time Tali hadn't felt like a constant target since she'd arrived on the station and even though she was still unable to relax, the quarian was determined to enjoy the peacefulness as long as possible. She was careful though, and her eyes scanned the occasional passers-by as they made their way up and down floors. Fortunately most seemed to prefer utilizing the elevator systems, giving Tali the time to let her mind wander over the events of the last few days.

The conversation with Fist was, as always, paramount in her thoughts. She felt that she'd handled it well, better perhaps than she'd hoped, though Tali often wondered if her hesitance at the two day ultimatum that he had given her might have told Fist more than she would have cared for him to know. Even if that were the case, Tali comforted herself with the knowledge that she hadn't been the only one to make a slip up. Fist's demands to know if she had what the Broker was looking for had told the quarian that it really was the Shadow Broker who'd sent the assassins after her in the first place. Clearly they knew what she carried and they wanted it badly enough to blatantly spill blood within the halls of the galactic seat of power. Tali wondered, not for the first time that day, exactly whose voice was on the recording to be worth so much effort. She knew exposure of the turian's identity would be a scandal of monolithic proportions; she had been convinced of that the moment she'd seen the footage of Eden Prime burning for herself on the news reports and the reaction of the gathered human onlookers. Listening to it again did nothing to abate her own curiosity, the desire to know who had managed to control the geth and how constantly eating away at the back of her brain.

Her mind fell back to when she'd first taken the memory core from the synthetic trooper platform, shaking her head sadly at the sense of elation she'd felt at successfully recovering it. She remembered too the incredulous look Ren'Gerrel had given her and the shared excitement at their finding. _Oh Ren... If only we'd known. I hope you made it home safe, this burden is enough to bear without thinking that I've gotten you into even more trouble. _The quarian smiled at the memories of their time together, the challenges the pair had overcome and the staggering odds they'd beaten in the space of a few short weeks. _We've come so far together since we started our journey, neither of us are little children anymore are we? _A ten foot figure hazed into her mental view, prompting another forlorn smile. _And we owe so much of that to you Pro'ad, to your protection and to your sacrifice._

It was as these thoughts of her friends swirled around her head that Tali suddenly realised that she wasn't afraid. She felt alone and isolated but she also felt a sense of gravity and purpose which gave her a strange calmness about what was to come. The girl knew there were a thousand and one reasons why she should be fearful and yet a little voice spoke from somewhere deep within the recesses of her mind, a gentle but firm confidence that whatever happened the following day, she would come out alive. She could almost hear the advice of her companions as clearly as if they were stood beside her once again: 'We did what we could to refine your instincts, now it's up to you to act on them.'

_I'm going to get through this. _Tali promised. _For both of you.  
_

* * *

14:09. Barely a minute had gone by since Tali last glanced at her Omni-Tool, the soft orange hue contrasting sharply with the gentle blue lighting of the Wards concourse. She stood casually off to one side, away from the hustle of the crowds that wandered through the station, some with purpose, others captivated with wonderment. Tali congratulated herself on choosing her waiting spot well. To anyone watching it looked for all the world like the quarian's attention was on the newscasting viewscreen built into the smooth surface of the supporting pillar a few metres opposite her. Tali had been intent on making sure she gave nothing away as she waited for her appointment to draw close, even though the urge to move with nervous energy was almost overpowering. The quarian kept herself busy by scanning the crowds without moving her head, reflections of her eyes flickering this way and that within her visor, watching for hidden dangers.

Annoyingly a vast vista offering a spectacular view of the Ward arms was present on the far side of the concourse, the magnificent sight broken occasionally by the shadow of a passing starship. It kept calling to Tali the longer she stood there but she adamantly refused the urge so many others happily succumbed to. She had survived for so long, it would be foolish to let her guard down now no matter the allure of the nebula's panorama. A passing elcor hid her from view with its ponderous motions and Tali used the cover to consult her Omni-Tool again. 14:11. Feeling the same surge of nervousness that she'd been fighting with for the past hour Tali ran herself through a quick mental checklist, certain that she was as prepared as she could possibly be for the encounter ahead. Her weapons had been cleaned and primed the night before and the recording OSD was hidden within the deepest, darkest pocket she had on her suit. Exhaling some of her apprehension, Tali offered a quick prayer for protection to Keelah. She could only hope that Dr. Michel was right, that the Broker would rather pay out credits than risk sullying his reputation. _Still, _she thought as she lightly brushed the hilt of her Kessler I, _no sense in taking unnecessary risks._

Abruptly the Omni-Tool chimed once in her ear. 14:13, time to move. Having already mapped out the route yesterday Tali shut down the device and turned to her right, disappearing through a nearby doorway. The hallway on the other side was quieter than the concourse despite leading to one of the main elevator access points to the Presidium. A pair of C-Sec guards stood watch over the far side but fortunately for Tali they were occupied with trying to placate a finely dressed asari. The engineer didn't stay to find out what the argument was about, instead passing through one of the hall's many side doors. A small flight of stairs cast in artificial red light greeted her and Tali took them slowly, taking the time to re-examine the environment. The alleyway seemed longer and narrower than it had yesterday and the darkened lighting felt oppressive. The only bright spot was a semi-circular alcove which contrasted sharply with its surroundings, the muted blue light revealing the same placid keeper she'd seen the day before, the alien still hunched over a small terminal. A few scattered boxes that hadn't been there before now dotted the alleyway and as Tali passed a pair of white-suited salarians who appeared to be working on a section of the Citadel circuitry, she began to slow her pace.

She was halfway through the alleyway and there was still no sign of Fist or the Shadow Broker. The thought that they might be late passed through her head but Tali knew this was wishful thinking. The time Fist had given her had been too exact for mistakes to have been made. Aware of how loud her solitary footsteps seemed to be in the tight confines of the alley Tali drew to a halt when a second pair joined hers. A moment later a turian emerged from behind one of the large crates, a horrific skull-like tattoo adorning his face. Tali eyed him warily as he approached, no doubts in her mind that he was here for her. She silently cursed Fist as the turian drew near, his darkened eyes searching behind her for signs of accomplices. _Not this time,_ Tali thought wryly, _there's no Krovak Torr or Ren'Gerrel to back me up today. You're just getting one little quarian girl all on her own, one who's been taught a hell of a lot about exactly how the galaxy works in the last few weeks._

"Did you bring it?" Asked the turian, making no attempt to hide why he was there.  
Tali stood firm as he approached, resisting the overwhelming urge to draw her weapon. "Where's the Shadow Broker?" She demanded in return. "Where's Fist?"  
"They'll be here." Replied the turian, now close enough to place his hand against the cheek of Tali's helmet. She pulled away reflexively but he ignored it, continuing on to run his fingers down her arm. "Where's the evidence?" He questioned.  
The quarian's skin rankled and she angrily slapped the probing hand away. "No way," Tali snapped, "the deal's off."  
The man's head shot up at her proclamation and the lust in his eyes abruptly vanished, replaced with calculated ruthlessness. One look into those eyes was all Tali needed to know exactly what would happen next. Unseen by the turian, a small flat disc slipped into the palm of her hand and Tali silently thumbed the primer. Expecting the turian to try and reach for the combat rifle he carried the quarian hesitated briefly as he took a step back, his chin jerking out at something behind her.

A cold flash of fear filled Tali as she realised the turian wasn't operating alone and she spun around, a quick glance being all the prompting her instinct needed. The pair of advancing salarians were still clearing their pistols when Tali threw the grenade and dove aside, the near-instantaneous detonation knocking both aliens clear off their feet. The action gave her the breathing space she needed to take cover behind a pair of protruding storage containers, the turian's assault rifle chipping flakes of metal from the top mere heartbeats after Tali dipped behind it. Shotgun already in her hands Tali rose and managed to get off two shots before her shields began to take hits, her weapon's spread catching the recovering salarians and punching through the armour of one whilst cracking the shields of the other. The pair separated, each scrambling for cover of their own as their turian counterpart took up a position in the alcove by the blissfully ignorant keeper.

Tali risked a glance that drew fire but warned her that the skull-faced turian now threatened her from a dangerous flanking position. Before he could put it to use she flung a tech mine his way, the explosion sabotaging the coolant units on his rifle. She heard a snarl of frustration and a barked order to pin her down which was immediately followed by a withering barrage overhead that made Tali flinch from the sheer intensity. It took her a second to realise that few of the rounds were actually impacting her cover and another heartbeat to spot that the majority of the gunfire was sailing straight over her head, down towards the assassins. Looking back Tali's confusion rose at the sight of a trio of figures taking up positions on the staircase above her, their concentrated fire shredding one of the salarians foolish enough to pick that moment to shift cover. Bewildered but not about to complain the machinist risked it all and placed her back to the newcomers, turning her focus back to the two remaining assassins. The turian, mentally reeling from the sudden shift in odds, managed to recalibrate his weapon and brought his rifle to bear on one of the shadowy figures at the pinnacle of the staircase. His target was smart, willing to allow his kinetic barriers to suffer under the assassin's fire long enough for another of the arrivals to drill a well-placed sniper round into the turian's shields. The assassin heard them snap under the pressure and automatically began to duck back into cover but his eyes went wide when he saw the shotgun barrel levelled at him, the quarian girl he had been sent to kill pulling the trigger with an almost casual air from the other side of the alleyway. The turian assassin hit the ground in silence, the remains of his skull-face tattoo a mess of blood and gore. Seconds later the final salarian assassin joined his accomplices in death, his already fractured armour torn apart by a slew of metal slugs.

Heart still hammering from the excitement of the furious firefight Tali got to her feet as the smell of discharged eezo began to mix with the odours of the bloody carnage. She offered a quick thanks to Keelah as she stowed her faithful shotgun, still unsure of what had happened but fully aware that she had no reason to have survived the encounter. The quarian felt her fury with Fist rise again as she stared at the scattered bodies. _All this could have been avoided if that bastard would have just took the data and let me walk away from it all._ The sound of tramping boots made her turn and finally register the presence of her apparent rescuers, though in her anger she barely looked at them. "Fist set me up," she cried indignantly, "I knew I couldn't trust him!"  
"Don't worry about Fist," said one of the men, "he got what was coming to him."

Feeling most of her outrage dissipate at the news Tali paused to take in the three beings stood before her. Two of them were humans, one a dark-haired woman in a distinctive white and red armour colouration, the second a man in darker colours with slate hued plating from head to toe. The only exception was a streak of blood red running up his right arm and a small human designation on his chest that Tali didn't recognize. The third person was a turian in traditional C-Sec body armour and Tali felt a moment's unease as she gazed at him, remembering all too well the number of people from his species that had attempted to end her life recently. Turning her attention back to the speaker, Tali stared questioningly at the helmeted figure in front of her. "Then I guess there are two things I need to thank you for." She decided. "Who are you?"  
Even from behind the darkness of his visor the human's eyes seemed to pin her in place, their intensity reflected in the very way he spoke. "My name's Shepard," explained the human, "I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor."  
Tali didn't recognize either name, but she knew immediately what the human was after and as she stared into those eyes, the quarian felt an unerring sense of rightness. _This is it,_ she realised, _my way out of this mess. I can finally get the evidence into the right hands and set my pilgrimage back on track_. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya couldn't help a smile as she spoke.  
"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life."


	40. Mass Effect: Pilgrimage - Epilogue

**Mass Effect: Pilgrimage – Epilogue  
**_Approximately 1 month later..._

The artificial grass crunched underfoot as Tali'Zorah landed, her knees bent to absorb the impact of the drop from the presentation platform above. It wasn't as soft as it looked, the verdant surface hiding a solid, unyielding core below. Tali's tired muscles protested at the strain but as she had done so many times recently, the quarian forced her body's complaints out of her head. The persistent drone of unattended alarms ringing through the council chambers was interrupted by the sound of a second figure joining her and Tali felt warmly reassured by the presence of the turian at her side. Despite the seriousness of their assignment she held back a smile, thinking back to the cautious manner with which she'd first treated Garrus Vakarian and how different things were now. So many things were different now, she knew. Tali had once thought that her adventures with Krovak Torr and Ren'Gerrel would end up being the highlight of her life, the girl foreseeing living out the rest of her days in a happy existence as chief engineer aboard a ship of her choosing once she returned to the Migrant Fleet. _Couldn't have gotten that more wrong could I?_ Tali asked herself, the chaotic events of the past month ever present in her mind's eye.

She hadn't been able to believe her luck when the man she knew simply as 'Shepard' had agreed to take her aboard his ship, unwittingly providing her with the sanctuary she desired and the opportunity she needed to end the dark shadow that had been hovering over her ever since she'd taken the geth data core on Olsav. With a clear goal in mind for the first time Tali had readily followed the Commander on the deadliest of missions, gradually coming to identify Saren as a person rather than just a faceless name and sharing her shock with everyone else as the existence of the reapers came to light. The bonds that she'd forged with the other members of the crew had often reminded Tali of her time with Ren, the same sense of purpose binding them together in a way that went beyond anything she'd ever known. She remembered how sceptical of her the krogan bounty hunter Wrex had been at first, though his dismissive manner had evaporated the moment he'd seen her in action. She had wondered what Torr would have thought when Wrex had later bragged that his father had been the one to lead clan Urdnot to victory over clan Krovak, obliterating the rivals in one fell swoop with no survivors. Tali had smirked to herself at the time and hadn't corrected the bounty hunter but she knew that somewhere in the void there was the rumble of thunder as the spirit of Krovak Torr chuckled to himself.

Ultimately it had all led her here, into the very heart of the Citadel itself to stop a galactic invasion and finally bring to justice the man who'd been flying in her drive trails since this all began. At her side were two men she would have gladly laid down her life for, one a brotherly protector and dependable friend who had proved the honour of his species a thousand times over; the other, her saviour, a man who had not only plucked her from the jaws of death but had given her purpose when she needed it most. Purpose, and the capacity to finally return home once the mission was complete. The same hairs stood up on the back of her neck as Tali recalled the unassuming terminal on Notaban's moon that had held the encrypted geth data files, records that could tell her people so much about how the synthetic race had advanced since the last days of the Morning War. Shepard had granted her a copy as soon as she'd requested one and the quarian's eyes flicked up to glance at the armoured figure standing high above them, a familiar strength filling her at the sight. Her gaze went unnoticed, the Commander's attention on the datapad in his hand and the raging battle outside. Tali still felt a little guilt every time she looked at him, never having dared to explain the truth about how she'd acquired the evidence against Saren. _The risk was too great,_ she had told herself so many times, _I'm the first quarian Shepard has ever met, if he found out that one of my people helped orchestrate the attack on Eden Prime..._ The consequences did not bear thinking about.

Tali had made the connection weeks ago. Seeing Saren issuing orders to the geth, remembering how Zeras'Boa had told Ren that his capture and Zeras' command of the geth were part of a bargain he had made, how Saren's men had been on her heels within days of her recovering the evidence against him and Matriarch Benezia. She even had her suspicions about the manner of Zeras' death back on Olsav but she wanted a second opinion before she committed to it. She only dared breach the subject with Ren and the extranet was too fragile a place for conversations of that nature. Instead Tali had kept her thoughts to herself, serving on the Normandy and at Shepard's side with constant vigilance, as though her actions might make up for the secret truths she harboured. She could only hope that the Commander had come to see the best of her people through her, as she had come to see each of the other species' through the men and women aboard the Normandy.

A shard of glass cracked underfoot as she walked across the garden sanctum, her eyes narrowing at the still turian form laying just a few metres ahead. The figure was the sum of so many emotions for her, fear at his far-reaching power and control, anger and bitter hatred at his responsibility for the deaths of so many, for Torr, and even sympathy at the very end when the true extent of his indoctrination had become apparent. Despite her emotional turmoil Tali was in no doubt about what would happen next. For everything Saren was, for everything he had ever been, her course was clear. Justice was to be served and the quarian would not hesitate. A small part of her felt almost guilty, not for Saren but for being the one to finish it all; she knew well that Garrus harboured as much venom towards their foe as she did but Tali knew that for all her friend's enmity, it had to be her. She had come so far and to not see it through now... the thought was unbearable. Taking her pistol from her hip, Tali drew aim on Saren Arterius' inert forehead and prayed as hard as she could that the turian's mind still lived, if only so that he could experience even a measure of the pain he deserved. As the hardened ridges of the turian's head filled her vision, a promise to an old friend drifted up from the recesses of her mind. Inhaling, the quarian machinist held the weapon steady, eyes unflinching.

"Krovak Torr says hello." Tali whispered as she pulled the trigger.

-FIN-

Author's Acknowledgements:

My Lord and Saviour - For giving me the talent, strength and determination to conceive of this story and see it through to the end.

My Family – For your support and counsel over the entirety of my life, your encouragement throughout the latter days of Pilgrimage's write-up and your willingness to take the time out to read about something you don't fully understand. Love you guys to bits.

My Extended Family – You know who you are and without all the times we shared brainstorming and writing together I doubt I would ever have gotten so far so fast were it not for you. Also, for all the awesome times we shared in your fair land, even if your ocean is a blatant thief.

Jason/M0thbanquet – For your friendship and constant support, advice and encouragement. Without your driving and input Pilgrimage wouldn't be half of what it is now, nor anywhere near as well-written. Also, for writing Interceptor; I've said many a time it's one of the best pieces of fiction I've ever read and the talent you harbour just oozes off the page. I can't overstate how much I'm looking forward to holding a book with your pen-name on it. Finally, for bringing the character for Krovak Torr to life visually, you did him proud and me prouder.

Sim/LT Ashler - For being the solid, dependable friend that you are and for putting up with me for so long now, if it wasn't for you Pilgrimage would never have begun in the first place and your constant readership and advice in the early stages helped keep me motivated. Also, for being the kind of guy I can make laugh with ease, I enjoy making you laugh almost as much as you enjoy my random fits of humorous insanity.

Jonny – For all the good times throughout our friendship and the great gaming memories we've shared. Also, for being deathly afraid of swarmers and being the most genuine, nicest guy I know. Really glad I got to meet you in person buddy : ).

Colonel Kovalyov (Deviantart) – In the early days your comments helped inspire me to believe I could make a career out of this someday, thank you for helping plant that seed.

CMY187 (Deviantart) – Your comments over the last few days have been incredible to read and as encouraging as it gets, I appreciate the time you took to hammer out each one and the level of feedback you gave, it helped drive me to get the epilogue written up in time.

All my readers, watchers, commenters and reviewers – Without your support, be it pageviews, reviews, favourites or comments, Pilgrimage would never have gone on for as long as it has and I'd still be a writer without a completed story under my belt. Thank you for helping keep this dream of mine alive.

C.S. Lewis – For being one of the great heroes of literature and introducing children to a magnificent fantasy world that teemed with variety and clearly showcased the love you have for it, and the love our creator has for us. I look forward to one day meeting you.

George Lucas – Frankly my opinion of you has degraded severely in recent years but you still deserve credit for introducing a young boy to a world beyond his imagining and creating the first sparks that would eventually become a love for both stories and science-fiction, so, thanks.

Karen Traviss – For writing the Republic Commando series and reminding a waning fanboy that there are still reasons to love the Star Wars universe and the magnificent stories that can come out of it. It's a real shame you never finished the series, though I fully understand why and frankly, would probably do the same in your shoes.

Two Steps From Hell – For creating such diverse music, and so much of it! Your work is phenomenal.

Extreme Music – For bringing together so many artists and styles, allowing me to find something that fits what I'm writing with ease and helping the words to flow from my fingers.

And finally, Bioware for crafting such a rich and engrossing universe populated with more characters than people. While I may not agree with every decision that has been made with Mass Effect, the fact remains that you have managed to create something that has intruded on the special place in my heart that was once reserved exclusively for the Star Wars universe, an accomplishment that I never dreamed imaginable.


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